Strength and Courage
by Amatus
Summary: "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." - Lao Tzu. Sunset-Wolf's 100 theme challenge from dA, all relating to Riku/Xion. Suggestions are always welcome! Rated for safety. 101? The bonus chapter, full of outtakes and a few other bonuses for reading the series all the way to the end.
1. Fancy

**Suuurpriiise... 8DDD I'm back from the dead once again! And guess what? _It's another 100 theme challenge!_ I'm likely to have a busy summer to get ready for the hectic year ahead, but I really, _really_ miss writing these challenge drabbles, and I noticed I get more done when I have one of these projects on the side. I'm hoping adding more writing will help me get the three oneshots I have planned done... Daily updates are the plan!**

**This drabble series, as you've probably guessed, is a direct sequel to "One Hundred Suns," and as such, this will also focus on Riku, Xion, and the Rion pairing. I'm not sure yet, but I'll likely make references to some of the OHS arcs, but I'll always warn you if I do. It's only fair to warn you that I spoil myself rotten on new games, so eventually there will be _Dream Drop Distance_ spoilers throughout this series, and I'll do my best to warn you where they're afoot. You are welcome to request certain scenes or ideas of me—I love challenges, obviously, ;D—and while I won't beg for it, any kind of comment on my writing is appreciated.**

**This time around, I'm using the prompts from Sunset-Wolf on deviantArt—if you're interested, here's the link: http:/ browse. deviantart. com/ ?qh=§ion;= &q=100+Theme+Challenge#/d323y2o Jigsaw puzzle, anyone?**

**As always, I do not own any of the characters, settings, concepts, and events in the following drabble series except for what I'll tell you I own—you'll be able to recognize what's mine and what isn't, it won't be nearly as developed; the elements on which this series is based are owned by Disney and Square Enix, and as always, faithful readers, read and enjoy!**

Xion can't help the tiny smile that arises when Riku slips his warm hand in hers under the table. It'll probably give everything away, but she's got half a mind to put their hands on the table and flaunt them to the others anyway. Besides, Sora's been dropping obnoxious hints for weeks...

"Well, fancy that."

Speak of the devil.

"I do believe Riku's holding Xion's hand under the table," Sora crows, staring Riku down smugly.

"I hate you, Sora," Riku mumbles, glaring at Sora more fiercely than if he was Xehanort—but he never lets her hand go.


	2. Death

**(Oh, man, you don't know how much I miss this part...) Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn (Imaaagine thaaat, you're the first review. :DDD Hello, friend! Yeah, I did another... I think I'm either crazy or a glutton for punishment—but it'll be worth it! And now you'll get all the fun of reading it as it progresses. LOL, isn't it? Sora actually comes up a lot in the first few drabbles so far. (:) That's Riku for ya!)) for the review, story alert, and favorite story, and**

**Chris Coard (And I love _you_, man! No, seriously. ...XD You and me both. I hope you'll enjoy this series as it goes!) for the review.**

**If any of you do not want me to reply to your review or thank you for the alerts, just PM me and let me know or leave it in your review. Doesn't matter to me either way.**

**The next drabble is set in _358/2 Days—_I know, shock and horror, I finally wrote something for _Days—_and makes a quick reference to the oneshot "Nightmare," but it is not necessary in the slightest to read it.**

At first Riku thinks it's a result of staying in a hotel room—last time she absorbed another of his memories, after all. His head isn't aching, though, and Xion didn't cry from absorbing his memories. Wordlessly he sinks into her bed beside her.

"I can't do it," she chokes. "I'm not strong enough; I'm not ready for death, for anyone's..."

And Riku swallows to keep his throat from closing over completely. _Never should've had to choose..._ "Hey," he murmurs, and for the first time since the Islands—the first time since Ansem—he rests a hand on her own.


	3. Underwater

**Thanks to...**

**Chris Coard (I wish she hadn't had to, either, especially not at Roxas's hands. :P But she'll be back soon... well, hopefully soon...) for reviewing,**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 (1. Goood Rikuuu... XD He's doing his best... which is probably a little lacking, but anything'll work now! 2. Oh, he would, can't you just see it? XD Xion's kinda like Riku in the way she can always tell what Sora's gonna do—she's been in his heart for how long? LOL.) for the double review!**

**Mirae-no-Sekai (Yay, another one! :D They're too much fun to give up, right? Thank you! LOL, just bringing out what he already had, but thank you and I will accept those kudos! I'll be waiting...) for the review and the story alert,**

**Knight-Dawn (XD Y'know, I think you're right... I think you told me that, but my memory sucks, sooo... LOL, that drabble is the Debbie Downer of the first ten—the rest are all fun and light-hearted. (Haha, I'm glad you did, too, but for entirely different reasons...) They _are_ really cute when they're sad together... How do you guys keep taking what I post and making it ten times awesomer than it was? LOL, that is really cool, actually. Can't wait to post the next one! (Wait... But I _am_...)) for the review, and**

**RoseOfADifferentColor (LOL, my faaavorite kind of comment to get, XD. Nice to hear from you again, and I missed writing these! Can't wait to show you what's next!) for reviewing!**

**Isn't it wonderful just torturing Sora?... Heh, heh.**

* * *

"Sora, your little sister is trying to drown me."

"I don't know what he's talking about," Xion replies airily, but that smile she's got is ruining her defense.

"Do I want to know?" Sora eyes them lazily, quirking an eyebrow when Riku wraps an arm around Xion's waist while still frowning.

"She tricked me!"

"Oh, I did not! All I did was kiss him while we were playing tag—"

"Underwater."

"—and he got into it and inhaled some water when I pulled away. Not my fault."

"...Yeah, I didn't want to know." Sora gets up and stalks away disgustedly.


	4. Let's Go!

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn (S'all good. ^-^ LOL, score! That drabble was the first one I thought of when I saw the list, so technically it was the deciding factor in me starting a new challenge. XD I can totally see him doing it, too—hence the drabble, I guess—'cause when Riku focuses on something, he's _focused_, LOL. I'm pretty sure Sora is now, officially, scarred for life after that—in fact, he may have to reestablish some ground rules if Riku and Xion keep going... Glad to hear it!) for reviewing,**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 (LOL, I agree, Sora, just walk away as quickly as possible... No better way for Riku to go than that right there. Sadly, though, I'm not sure he'll get that chance according to my head canon... o.o You didn't hear it from me!) for reviewing, and**

**Mirae-no-Sekai (Best first line of a review ever, XD. Oooh, yes, let's not forget torturing Riku, it's possibly the most fun part in writing these! LOL, Xion's probably not going to be very good at hiding what she's feeling if she's considering herself Sora's sister, seeing as he can't, either... XD) for reviewing!**

**Ah, more Sora abuse... The next drabble is, again, set during KHIII, though this time towards the beginning—or whenever the hell Roxas, Namine, Xion, and the crew come back from the dead. Pick any arena you want—I'm thinking Olypmpus Coliseum in the morning myself... ;)**

* * *

"What's that make the score now, Sora?"

"Three to two," Sora groans from the ground, earning him a snicker from the sidelines. Riku smirks about as kindly as he can and offers his sprawled-out friend a hand. Sora, however, swats him away and pushes himself up, mischievously glaring at the assembled audience. "Someone else come down here and beat him for me!"

Lea elbows Roxas challengingly, but it's not the blonde who rises with a determined smile.

Xion doesn't say a word until she's just in front of him, despite Sora's disbelieving blabbering. "No holding back."

Riku grins. "Let's go."


	5. Nighttime

**Thanks to...**

**Mirae-no-sekai (Muahahaha... IF he was really as pissed off as he sounds. ;) Either way, there will be revenge for the attempted drowning... Oooh, I like the idea of the TRON worlds! Don't worry, you're not the only one who fangirls over it—I can't help it, they're cool! LOL, again! Roxas is much more confused and tortured than Lea by what transpires, which should probably come up again in a later drabble... the head scenario is funny, LOL. She uses something akin to her previous tactic... (LOL, I'm guessing that urge is not nearly as far down as Riku wishes it was sometimes... XD)) for reviewing, and**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 (LOL she beat him once last challenge, I think he'll win this one, but, uh... Xion will probably get the last laugh.) for reviewing!**

**Set after Xion wakes up from Sora's heart, but before anything really _starts_, if you catch my drift... Enjoy!**

* * *

It's like a live wire is brushing Xion's arm with every step she takes, and she's so wide awake now she's not likely to sleep until she's dead.

"Here's your room," Riku murmurs; the live wire that is his hand wraps around her wrist. "'Night, Xion."

"'Night, Riku," she mumbles, pulling away gratefully, reluctantly—

Riku pulls on her arm.

Xion turns back.

Riku's hand reaches up, grazes her cheek.

Xion closes her eyes.

Riku _kisses _her...

...on the forehead. He's gone by the time her eyes open.

If nighttime's going to be like _this_ from now on, Xion's gonna die.


	6. Forever

**Thanks to Mirae-no-sekai for reviewing! (The sweetest revenge known to man, LOL. This is Riku, he's smooth—_like Keith _Stone—and knows it; pulling moves like that and getting Xion flustered is probably his favorite hobby. (Not sure if you or anyone will get that joke, but it's there now... XD It's a commercial...) Well, thank you!... I'm not seeing what you're seeing, but thank you! LOL. (Muahahaha, believe you me, that war goes on _forever_... which just so happens to be today's prompt. XD))**

**This drabble has some references to the original OHS challenge, but they're pretty self-explanatory. Riku's our guilt-trip kid, after all, and in the last series he was awfully reluctant to start a relationship in the middle of the fight against Xehanort. Three guesses to how that ends for him... Enjoy!**

* * *

Riku is not a morning person. At all.

He is, therefore, understandably irked when he opens his eyes and the sky has cast the world in shadow with the bright colors of dawn. Pretty though it may be, it is nowhere near worth waking up early to see...

...Xion, though, is something else altogether. With a half-smile Riku brushes back her bangs with one hand, not brave enough to disentangle the other from her grip.

Had he known the beauty of _this—_of waking up with his best friend every morning forever—Xion would have won a long time ago.


	7. Far Away

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn (S'all good. I understand completely. How was your trip? Yay for three in one! Haha, I'm not the only one who believes and sees that! Funnily enough, that's almost the same wording I had for describing them last challenge... I don't think she beats him in that prompt, but, uh, she gives him a run for his money and some payback... :D LOL, and half the time he doesn't even mean to be. Silly, silly, Riku and Xion. At least they have good reason to be a tad reluctant like that, though... LOL, in "Forever," actually nothing—that time was one of the few that they're just splitting the bed. Most other times... XD JK. Have at this new one!) for reviewing,**

**Element's Sole Protector for the favorite story, and**

**g-peachy-chan for the story alert!**

* * *

**SPOILERS. A single, teeny, tiny one, and you won't get the full meaning behind it in the slightest, but there is a spoiler with some very large consequences. BE WARNED.**

**Ahem, anyway, this drabble does contain a SPOILER for _Dream Drop Distance_, but it's not necessarily in-canon. I haven't watched all the Japanese cutscenes because there are no subtitles for a majority of them, so this is based on what little I do know and some ideas I wish would happen but probably won't. Funny story—I had my "pretty playlist" of songs on while writing this, and "Far Away" by Nickelback actually came up just as I finished the drabble. XD Enjoy!**

* * *

The beauty about whatever Sora and Riku are doing now is that Sora's inches away from Xion at all times—or so it feels. His conscious is so close to hers in the Realm of Sleep that she can _feel_ what he's feeling.

She stops when it occurs to her that he might feel her, too. She's hurt Roxas enough—no sense in hurting their Other...

...especially when Riku's conscious finds hers, even _talks_ to her, but he never even remembers.

She's never felt so far away from him in all the time she's known hims as she does now.


	8. Emo

**Thanks to DGMSilverAirHead03 for all three reviews! (1. I'm pretty sure _I'd_ die. XD 2. :D Those are just the best... 3. That's about the worst slap in the face I can imagine—already giving up everything and every memory of you to keep your friends safe, then being forced to live with that pain when you shouldn't even _feel_, and then that. (I kinda hate myself now for suggesting it... XP)).**

**QUICK NOTE—if there's anyone out there who read "One Hundred Suns" and/or "The New Future's Face" and is interested, goldeneyes713 and I are technically celebrating little Haruki's birthday this Friday. XD I forget how we came up with that date—it's the middle of two important dates in his creation, but I forget which... No real point to it, but I thought a few people oughtta know. :D If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you're welcome to go check out OHS chapters 23, 86, 69, and 72.**

**Anyway, I don't really know when or where this is—sometime after Xion comes back in that hopeful if/when scenario... Enjoy!**

* * *

"What do you think?"

"I think it looks good." Hopefully not loudly, Riku swallows all unprofessional and more-than-friendly thoughts about Xion's outfit—she really, really needs to stop/start wearing close-fitting clothing so/more often. "But what's with all the black? You emo or something?"

"Black's the only color I know," she retorts, narrowing pretty blue eyes at him before twirling back to the mirror behind her. "Just because I'm comfortable in black doesn't mean I'm emo—I'm too cheerful. _You_, on the other hand..."

"Hey, I have an excuse to brood." (So Xion doesn't catch him mentally drooling.)

"Sure you do."


	9. Cuddle

**Thanks to Mirae-no-sekai for reviewing! (Oh, yeah, I agree, she _knows_ the other colors, but it's the only color she's ever worn—I think to some extent it might be the only color she feels comfortable in for a while. LOL, oh, yeah, he _reaaally_ likes what he sees—it's a lot more flattering than the Organization coat, among... other things... LOL, it's a great cover for the actual first time he met her... (Thank you for the birthday wish for the lil' guy! I don't think he gets it just yet, but stilll...))**

**Heh, heh, Roxas may or may not be a little jealous in the following drabble... Enjoy!**

* * *

Riku is a little surprised when Xion sits by him around the campsite fire. On his other side Roxas shoots him death glares, but Riku pretends not to notice.

Riku is very surprised when Xion slips an arm under his, resting her head on his shoulder. Roxas complains of a sudden need to sleep and stalks off to his tent; Lea follows, winking at Riku and earning him two exasperated eye-rollings from the pair.

Riku is downright flabbergasted when Xion falls asleep cuddling his shoulder.

Riku is _not_ surprised, however, when Sora chuckles and Kairi gets that annoying I-know-something-you-don't look.


	10. Stuffed Animal

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn (LOL, you're more than welcome to skip a few, y'know. I've skipped, what, twenty chapters of yours now? :P Can't stop reading it, though... Good to hear! May I ask where you went or would that be too stalkerish? 1. I know, I know, but it's the only depressing prompt in the first ten! (Facial expression and the way he was comfortable enough to walk up to her and sit with her for a bit indicate that, at least from where I'm sitting, YES, SOMETHING IS UP WITH THOSE TWO THERE—in case you can't tell, that excites me. :D 2. *Fistpump. Hey, the guy's eighteen and only human... XD Y'know, she might have planned that one in advance... I can see her doing that... 3. That one was fun to write! Oh, yes, Roxas is jealous and just can't quite admit it to himself... LOL, yes, she did, and Riku's likely to tease her about it forever...) for reviewing, and**

**Mirae-no-sekai (...Because you're probably right knowing those three, LOL, and I would almost guarantee that Roxas is going to try to murder Riku at least once... XD JK... mostly. (He did, and they're so dang cuuute... LOL.) for reviewing!**

**I would just like to point out that I don't own Build-a-Bear Workshop... You'll see its relevance. ;D**

* * *

"What's the point of a stuffed animal, anyway?"

"Comfort object for children?" Riku offers. While Xion examines the teddy bear, Riku sits on the bench beside her, wanting to smile but not really able to. "I've heard of people giving them to their friends for when they're gone of something."

"Mm." Xion giggles suddenly. "If I go back to the Castle, I should take this with me—to remember you."

Riku's mouth goes dry.

"I'd love to see Saïx's face if I showed up with it," she laughs.

...Riku wonders what Sora's face would look like if he found out...


	11. Demon

**Thanks to Knight-Dawn for reviewing! (Aw, you're so sweet. :) ...I kind of want to hate you now, LOL. Sounds awesome! LOL, I've never been to Build-a-Bear, but the heart just makes it even _more_ awesome. And perfect. LOL (That would be so _sweet..._ XD I'd really like to see Saix's reaction in that case.) You got it exactly. You know me so well, LOL. Hope you enjoy!)**

**Sakura Scout never has Xion find out exactly what Riku did before she was created... and so, Xion just now finds the reason that Riku can't convince himself that he deserves to be _happy_. (So, yeah, another slight reference to OHS—again, not worth looking up.) Enjoy...?**

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"He never told you, did he?" Ansem purrs, hovering over Xion's shoulder. "About what he did?"

"Stay _away_ from her!" The Way to Dawn appears uselessly in Riku's hand.

Xion gasps, brow furrowing in confusion. "Riku, what is he talking about?"

"So he hasn't." Those amber eyes glitter like those of the Heartless. "_He _opened the door. _He_ destroyed his homeworld."

"No!" It's a lie, they all know it, but he can't just let Ansem ruin the best thing he's had since—

"Is it true?"

Riku feels it, stronger than ever in her quiet horror—the demon Ansem made him.


	12. Bubble

**Thanks to Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing! (I wouldn't say you're going to hell, LOL—at first your comment confused me, and then I started giggling because I imagined Ansem as a cat. Yeah, you're right, not using that word with Ansem again. XD It's another one of _those_ situations, LOL... Yeah, it's not going to be pretty for Riku for a bit... possibly physically pwned to boot...)**

**And here I was thinking "Bubble" would be a lighter prompt... For goldeneyes713's birthday last Friday, I promised her a shmexy Riku drabble... I only got halfway there with this one, LOL. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Xion isn't quite sure where Riku's shirt has gone, but that matter doesn't seem to matter as his lips brush her own, her jaw, her collarbone. Eyes closed, safe in his warm embrace, Xion lets her head fall back, contentment rising in the form of a smile..._

Then it's cold.

Xion rolls over and wraps an arm around her pillow, sighing bitterly and resisting the urge to pound her head into the bed. _Silly girl—of course Riku wasn't there, of course it never happened._..

One would think she'd be used to that little bubble of hope bursting every morning.


	13. Reflection

**Thanks to Mirae-no-Sekai for the review! (LOL, not only did I kick a kitten, I booted him right back into your head. Oh yeah, I'm awesome. XD Oh, the joys and dreams of being in love... (No, no it wasn't, LOL.) For that one, it's more like he keeps turning her down even though they both know they've got a good thing going—with all the bad things going on, he's trying to avoid hurting her again when he's already screwed her life up once, but he kinda fails... :P)**

**I'm with Knight-Dawn in the belief that the Riku Replica is likely to obsess over Xion a little as well as Naminé, and I'm guessing Xion is going to do everything in her power to save her fellow Replica if she ever finds him. :) Enjoy!**

* * *

He isn't Riku—Riku's behind her, nails digging into her shoulder—he's a reflection of him, of the way he saw himself once.

But he's the only one like her, and watching Riku turn his back on her is unbearable.

"Wait—!" She shrugs out of Riku's grasp and leaps at the Replica, wrapping her arms around him. "You can't leave me, not again—"

"Hey." He twists in her embrace, holds her as close as he can, one hand cradling her head to his chest. "...Take care of her."

"...Yeah." Riku's voice answers himself.

Then he's gone from her again, forever.


	14. Snail

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn (O.O See, I knew about you posting "Reflection" yesterday, but... that's _awesome_. XD Proof that great minds think alike. 1. LOL, sadly, that was one of my favorites so far—I'd been stuck on it for five days anyway, and then I'd gotten the idea to actually put Ansem into the drabble... I kinda had the OHS version in mind when writing it, LOL. Oh, Ansem... :P Her reaction will likely be included later. ;D 2. LOL, the beginning of that was funny to write! You called it, LOL. Hint taken. It's kind of the beginning of the end of the "Riku avoids Xion after kissing her for the first time" arc of OHS, actually, so if it makes you feel any better, it's about to get better for them. 3. Again, like you said, he got the short end of the stick _and_ got beat with it. :P He's probably the saddest character in the series for me—everyone else will get a chance to start over, but he may never get to change. I imagine giving Riku that charge would probably kill the Replica a little inside—it reminds me oh-so-very much of the end of KHI and how much that has to kill him to give up everything to keep her safe. :P Enjoy the next one!) and**

**Mirae-no-Sekai (LOL, I'm sorry! (Secretly fist-pumping.) I would especially darn the Replica in this scenario for being just like his original self and giving her up to keep her safe... :PPP LOL, accurate description that is. (ROFLMAO, oh my gosh... Give him here, I'll take him back for a while! XD LOL, you're quite welcome for my evil aim. I was actually going to draw you a picture of him, but I can't draw Ansem's hair worth a darn... You're lucky, LOL.) for reviewing!**

**Long review replies today... I adore sibling!Riku-and-Kairi. :D Enjoy!**

* * *

"Y'know, for a Keyblade Master, you're about as quick as a snail."

Riku snorts, shaking his head and staring in the direction of her shoes. "At least I'm quicker than Sora."

"True." Kairi leans back in her chair, straightens a wrinkle in her shirt.

"You really think—" Riku swallows. "You really think Xion's...?"

"Interested in you? I don't think she realizes _how_ interested she is, but it's obvious that she is."

He nods, blinking...

and then he grins.

"You're starting to look like Sora, with that goofy smile on your face," Kairi says nonchalantly, grinning as widely as Riku.


	15. Flight

**I'm vaguely proud of this little drabble... Please note that this is _not_ how I feel about Naminé—I mean, did you see her stand up to Larxene _and_ Marluxia? I freaking love Naminé, LOL. The following references the good old phrase "fight or flight" and how much white there is around Naminé—I seriously doubt she likes all the white she's subjected to, but then again, that could be _my_ aversion to white... And it's a _Days _drabble! How rare these little buggers are! Set just after Axel abducts Xion for the umpteenth time, just before her death. Please enjoy!**

* * *

Naminé has never had reason to fear Riku until now.

"Riku, I'm _sorry_." Riku only tenses further; Naminé shrinks away from the white-hot anger and frustration rolling from him in waves. "I told her not to go, but she wouldn't listen—" Not brave little Xion, not the girl who chose to fight when Naminé would have chosen flight...

"It's not your fault," Riku murmurs at last. He's facing the window, arms crossed across his chest, hands curled into fists. "She knows what's at stake. She'll do the right thing."

His fist nearly shatters the window all the same.

Naminé sobs.


	16. Scared?

**Thanks to the Trio of Twilight for the favorite story! ^-^**

* * *

"Are you scared?" Every word Riku says is murmured into her hair as he holds her close.

Xion nods against his chest; his holds tightens, if possible. "I wasn't until I saw you, but then it me—" Her thin arms slip around his waist, shaking under the weight of the moment. "I don't want to lose you."

And he so desperately wants to say that she won't.

"Promise me that you'll take care of yourself, _please_."

"I will," he whispers, unconsciously rocking the two of them on his feet. "_You_ take care of yourself—we're—I'm not losing you again."


	17. Freddy Krueger

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn (S'all good, I'll be here for a long time. :) (Good to hear! Yeah, that's pretty much Naminé in a nutshell, LOL.) :D I thought I'd put in a note at the beginning... Then again, with my brain, that likely didn't make it. :P I suck. LOL, _technically_ it's set toward the end of KHIII, but it applies so well to their _lives_ in general that it works at almost any time of crisis. :P (_Just do it. _Nike told you to. Doing quite well! And yourself?) for reviewing, and**

**Mirae-no-Sekai (The voice thing is Riku being indecisive—in FFVII, there's one moment where Cloud is trying to comfort Aerith and starts to say that he's always there for her, but changes his mind and inserts "we" instead of being too intimate and personal, so Riku pulls a Cloud moment in reverse. For once he lets Xion know that _he_ cares very much what happens to her. :) (Yeah, I'm a Clerith fan... :P) And Xion cutting herself off is just her pausing before she drops the bomb, LOL. I confuse people all the time, so don't worry, it's just bad judgment on my part. (Supposedly this happens right before KHIII ends, but you know, it might be fun to elaborate... ;D) for reviewing!**

**I really, really, _really_ didn't like this prompt. Really. I've never watched _A Nightmare on Elm Street_, so I had to go look it up—if it wasn't for Wes Craven directing the film and therefore the movie having tons of blood and guts, I'd love it—and I found some very fun stuff. For example, there was a Mickey Mouse comic strip parody of Freddy Krueger that was almost used here, and the way Freddy kills people is a little too close to home after KH:3D; Freddy Krueger stalk people in their dreams and murders their dreamselves, which in turn kills the people in real life... Yeah, with KH having an actual Realm of Sleep, _oh hell no._ LOL.**

**Set during _358/2 Days_. Enjoy!**

* * *

"I'm pretty sure what little money we have isn't going to last much longer if you keep buying coffee."

"I'm sorry that it feels like Freddy Krueger's stalking me in my dreams," Xion snaps, taking another sip from the styrofoam cup.

"How do you know about that movie?"

"You, Sora, and Kairi watched it once—you three had to cuddle up before she'd sleep." Xion flinches and frowns over her cup, never glancing at him. "_That's_ what I mean."

How many times has Xion driven the metaphorical wedge deeper into his heart now...? Wordlessly Riku digs out the remaining munny.


	18. Hatred

**This might relate back to OHS prompts again—toward the end of the arc where Riku and Xion really start being serious, Riku apparently tries to protect Xion despite all the times he says he's not in love with her, and afterward Xion finally convinces Riku to stay with her. Prompts 63, 60, and particularly 67, anyone?**

**And speaking of OHS... If you haven't already—which I suspect most of you reading this have been for a _long time—_you really should be reading Knight-Dawn's drabble series, "Two Hearts." It's literally the same concept as this, just different prompts. ^-^ (And I know most of you must read "Two Hearts" because OHS had twice as many hits when she mentioned one of the prompts from that series as this did, LOL.)**

**Goldeneyes713 and I had a lot of fun with Saïx being an absolute _ass_ in this—in honor of Saïx being rank VII in the Organization, he has seven insults in store for the pair, and six of them appear in this drabble. The seventh will likely be featured later and will have to do with that OHS theme mentioned earlier...**

* * *

Despite how Xion reciprocates the animosity, Riku steps between her and the intense hatred from the blue-haired man.

"_Sa__ï__x._"

"I prefer Isa." The Lunatic and the Way to Dawn materialize.

"Isa wouldn't have turned on Lea," Xion spits.

"How touching—loyalty from a puppet. Though your _friend_ seems _unwaveringly _loyal..." Riku's hand curls into a fist as Isa's eyes slide to him. "Our Superior will find this most interesting, Fourteen—"

Over his shoulder, Xion blanches.

"That's _enough_—!"

"Were I you, Keyblade Master, I wouldn't attack," Isa says, "lest she hate you more than she does already."

Riku's vision goes red.


	19. Ugly

**Thanks to Knight-Dawn for reviewing! (Aced 'em. ^-^ 2. was Saïx noting how _incredibly friendly_, cough cough, Riku and Xion are, so it is an extremely bad thing, LOL. No problem; I thought that was one of the funniest things I'd seen all day, actually. I'm with you for the most part, but another part of me wonders if Isa the way he is _because_ he was going to be a little obnoxious and spiteful... but _still_, worst fate ever! :P LOL, why thank you. :) (Freddy Krueger molests kids, gets burned by kids' parents, comes back and kills the kids in their dreams, thereby killing them in real life and getting his revenge. Plus gore. :P) ...This is the part where I laugh nervously and say, "Good luck with that." You'll do great, though. :D)**

**In my head, this is set somewhere in KHIII, but you know, the glory of this kind of drabble is that you can really pick what happens... XD Enjoy!**

* * *

"Finally taking care of yourself?"

Riku doesn't jump, but he does freeze in his Potion search at Xion's voice. As he looks up, she kneels beside him, running her cool fingers over the swollen bruise on his jaw, hissing in sympathy.

"Pretty ugly-looking, Riku."

"I thought it was rather impressive," he murmurs, nearly wincing.

"It's been hurting all day, hasn't it?" Faintly she smiles at him. "_Cure._"

Riku sighs in relief—and stops breathing altogether when Xion's lips meet his forehead.

"All you had to do was ask."

"Even _that_ hurt," he stutters.

"Of course. Now sleep so I can."


	20. Beautiful

**Like, seriously, I hate this prompt. XD I literally just finished it because it bothered me so much, LOL. Set in my head-canon of KHIII—enjoy!**

* * *

"You're beautiful."

Xion laughs softly before Riku kisses her again. "If I'm beautiful," she murmurs, her lips brushing his, "I'd like to see what you think of a real lady."

"I've met the Princesses of Heart; they're all pretty enough." Riku shifts, propping himself up on one elbow and stretching out beside Xion, and brushes her cheek with the back of his free hand.

"Just 'cause they're pure doesn't always mean they're the most beautiful." Xion closes her eyes, leans into his touch. "And I think you're a little biased."

"Probably." Riku lets his eyes fall closed. "You're still beautiful."


	21. Spike

**Set sometime during, or maybe even after, KHIII... Enjoy! Sorry for the late update... :P**

* * *

"You've got this one spike right here," Xion laughs, pulling on a strand of Riku's hair.

"Hey!" Riku yanks his head forward and his hair free, turning his hair to glare at Xion. "Quit that."

Across the breakfast table from them, though, Kairi notes how he's smiling at Xion in a way he's never smiled at her or Sora and the way Xion's cheeks are flushed brightly.

"You have the cutest bedhead "

"Just because I gave you two my blessing does not mean you get to make me watch you flirt," Kairi chimes at last, smiling even as she shakes her head.


	22. Go Away

**The following ties directly into #11, "Demon," and is set immediately afterward. (I just left out the painful process of Riku getting the shiz beat outta him. :P) Enjoy...**

* * *

The black hole between her heartbeats is _cold_, so cold—it's all Xion can do to keep breathing. Riku lies bleeding on the ground, shaking, as Ansem draws closer.

"Get away from him," she chokes.

Ansem pauses, chuckles shortly.

Suddenly she's so cold that it _burns—_and how that works she doesn't understand, but Riku's always brought out the fiery and not the logical responses in her. "_Go away_!"

"You would rather I leave you this traitor—?"

"I don't care what he's done," she says, Keyblade drawn and pointing at Ansem's chest. "Not when I know it's all your fault."


	23. Believe

**Thanks to Mirae-no-Sekai (LOL, "however the darkness he's calling himself..." Oh, I love your reviews, they make me laugh so much... XD Thank you, friend! That _is_ rather appropriate; actually, the coincidences there are kinda creepy... XD (LOL, I'm glad you liked them as much as I did!) Well, y'know, one of the prompts in the 30s is "Battle"... ;D I'll try to work that in. You'll definitely see the cutely awkward situation.) for reviewing, and**

**Knight-Dawn (I understand completely—I kinda figured that was what was happening. LOL, okay, I wondered if that wasn't what you meant. Yeah, just a bit... I feel four times as special, :D 1. LOL, he would and he did. XD Xion would make it her job to know, LOL. 2. I wonder if Xion wouldn't get a little bit of Naminé's mentality and compare herself too much to Kairi once she gets to know her. Riku's getting to be pretty good at making her feel better. True that, and it really helps that they're in love. ^-^ 3. LOL, "brilliant"? Thank you, though. Kairi probably knows how they act when they're really in love more than anyone... which just makes it all the more fun for her, LOL. 4. LOL, I do know what you mean. You know (which you will by now, LOL), someone else mentioned wanting to see Xion beat the crap outta Ansem, too... I'll be writing that in about thirteen prompts. :) The only drawback I see is that she may get fussy over the fact that he didn't come out and tell her himself, but she'll understand. And then hug him. Probably. LOL. Pfft, I always lurk, it's totally cool. Good luck this week!) for reviewing!**

**I don't write in first-person all that much... So, I'm pretty sure you all remember the part of the last scene of _359/2 Days_ where Xion tells Roxas that she'll always have her memories of the three of them, even if they forget her. I kinda borrowed that idea for this drabble; since Xion was able to talk to Riku during the fight with Roxas, and since Riku is nearby while Xion is saying goodbye to Roxas—_and since their goodbye is kind of lacking,_ cough, cough, LOL—I wondered if she didn't say something to Riku when she thought he might forget it was her talking... Ultimately it sounds more like a note than Xion talking, though... Enjoy!**

* * *

Riku, I'm not sure if you can hear me or not, but I wanted to thank you. You saved me when you could have let me die; you gave me a choice... and for that, I'll never thank you enough.

You've done more than enough for me, but do me one last thing: keep being strong like I know you can be. I know something's wrong—I know you've... changed, that you don't look like you anymore—but I know it's still you. I know you don't believe in yourself, but I wish you did because...

_I believe in you._


	24. Snow

**Not my favorite drabble, but I thought it was at least cute. Enjoy!**

* * *

"You've never seen snow before, have you?"

Xion shakes her head. "I have memories of memories of snow, but..." Cautiously Xion toes a lump of snow. "I've never seen this. None of my missions were this cold."

Riku smiles—albeit a tiny smile, but a smile. "So, you've never had a snowball fight?"

Xion's wide eyes answer for him.

"Let me demonstrate..." Riku kneels down and rolls a handful of snow into a ball—and promptly throws it at her stomach.

"Hey!" Without think Xion scoops up a handful and tosses it at Riku's face, never even rolling it. "It's _on_."


	25. Waterfall

**Thanks to DGMSilverAirHead03 for all the reviews last night! I really appreciate it, friend. ^-^**

**Not gonna lie, _The Emperor's New Groove_ is one of my favorite Disney movies—my parents bought me the VHS of it on the day I had my first allergy tests, which made the whole ordeal loads better... especially when you find out you're mildly allergic to chocolate! :P Enjoy!**

* * *

Riku stiffens beside her.

"What?" Xion asks. She's lying on her stomach, clinging to the log for dear life; Riku's pushed himself upright behind her, and the villager and the talking llama that started the whole mess are tied to another log a few feet to their left, bickering about sharp rocks.

"Nothing," Riku says quickly—too quickly.

"What's up?"

"Just—" Xion's heart stops—Riku's leaning back over her, arms on either side of her body, his body completely covering hers. "Just trust me, alright?"

"Riku, you're scaring me. What's—?"

And then the edge of the waterfall comes into sight.


	26. Fate

**Thanks to...**

**Mirae-no-Sekai (LOL, ultimate oh-crap moment. ^-^ Poor Xion—that's probably the worst time in the world to get a hug. Riku has a plan, however... Yeah. Allergy tests. They _suck_. I hate them. :P) for reviewing, and**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 (LOL, with Riku's luck—not to mention Xion's, poor thing—I'm guessing this kind of thing happens a lot. XD The chocolate allergy is so small that I just ignore it. Here's the true horror: you're gonna think I'm lying, but I swear on my mother that I am severely allergic to milk, but I can still eat some yogurts, mozzarella cheese, and milk chocolate. The less fatty the dairy, the more likely I am to be able to eat it... which means no ice cream. XD Anyway, s'all good—forgive me for updating this so late!) for reviewing!**

**I've likely mentioned this, but **_**Hercules**_** is possibly my favorite Disney movie—but if it is, then there are plenty close seconds. However, the Fates have not shown up yet in KH, so...**

* * *

"So... Xehanort's... _dead_?"

"He _was_ dead," one Fate proclaims, sticking her long nose up in the air. "He has created a new thread of life for himself."

"He's hardly the first, however." the short one with the only eye says. "There was a girl just recently—"

"_Xion?_"

Sora tosses a confused glance at Riku; Lea casts a very concerned glance in his direction.

The green Fate chuckles, twisting a wormy strand of yellow hair in her fingers. "Oh, that one—we haven't cut her string."

"Yet," the hook-nose Fate adds.

Riku laughs in relief all the same.

_She's still alive._


	27. Needle

**Thanks to...**

**Mirae-no-Sekai (Hoora—oh, drat. :P Can someone please get rid of this guy? Oooh, I like the idea of the chainsaw... I like that a lot... Riku set himself up so badly right there it's not even funny—but it's cuuute! LOL. Y'know, he's just badass enough that he might be able to pull off a Hercules moment... Thank you!) for reviewing, and**

**Peach (^-^ They'd be cool, but kinda creepy... especially with the eye, LOL. I dunno, but that _would_ be really fun to see how that works in KH universe. One of the Ansem reports mentions that death is the separation of the soul from the body, but your body and soul stay together when the heart is lost—but those get retconned so easily, LOL. That's cool!... Well, not really, but I have never met anyone else who had the same allergy/weird-food-thing as me. Anti-milk-buddies unite? LOL, thanks again!) for reviewing!**

**Yeah, I went with the nightmare idea again—I debated all day on including this idea of mine, but I ultimately went with it. The needle in the drabble would be representing whatever device Xemnas used to actually reprogram Xion and force her to go after Roxas. :P Enjoy...**

* * *

_No matter how Xion squirms, there is no moving, no avoiding that needle. The metal glints under a light that she can't find and that cannot find Xemnas's face, only the black gloves that hold her arm down and draw the needle and the new program ever closer—_

Xion gasps, checking herself before she shouts. The room around her is dark, but it's a different dark than the nightmare—softer, warmer, though that might have something to do with the warm body beside her.

Xion huddles closer to Riku, closing her eyes and reveling in the warm assurance he provides.


	28. Alone Again

**Thanks to Mirae-no-Sekai for the review! (True, he's godly enough to make it work, XD... LOL, I can see it now; Sora, Kairi, and everybody (except maaaybe Roxas... maaaybe) all stand in a huddle and just go, "Aww..." until they melt into a pile of ecstatic goo... _It must happen._ That and Ansem getting his backside handed to him... ;) Anyway—nooobody likes needles anyway, and then you add this nastiness... :PPP Dislike button, plz. At least she has teddybear!Riku, LOL...)**

**There are two versions of this prompt, one horribly depressing and this one, which is... well, you'll see... Poor Lea thinks he's just making a joke...**

* * *

"You two play nice, now." Lea waves, turning to the door.

"_We're not dating,_" Riku and Xion snap simultaneously, which makes Lea laugh as he walks away, shutting the door soundly.

Silence... then—"So, we're all alone again," Xion giggles.

With a smirk Riku saunters to where she stands, placing his hands on her waist. "You'd think they'd pick up on this by now," he mutters. "Don't you get tired of lying?"

"It's creatively twisting the truth—we haven't gone on a date, after all—"

"What do you call this?"

"Secret rendezvous," Xion murmurs. "Now shut up and kiss me."


	29. Glow

**Thanks to Mirae-no-Sekai (I still freakin' love your reviews, XD. No kiddi—_ohhh._ I'm pretty sure Xion was trying her best to get Lea out of there _veery quickly_, LOL. Considering I have at least two drabbles that have "outtakes," I will likely do another outtake chapter like I did in OHS. ^-^ Oh, you're fine—I have an outrageous fear of needles, too, so you're golden. XD) for reviewing, and**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing! Sadly, due to the length of my response, I'm just PM-ing you... XD I still like how FF wouldn't send me the full email "due to the length..." It's awesome.**

**Set in Twilight Town almost immediately after Xion, Roxas, and co. finally wake up. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Thought I might find you up here."

"And I thought I'd never see you up here," Xion shoots back, grinning. "Sit for a bit."

Riku obliges, pulling one knee up and resting his arm on it. "The others are looking for you."

"They can look a little longer. I haven't seen the sunset from the clock tower for a year... and we haven't just gotten to just talk yet, either."

"Yeah." Riku would like to say something just as nice back—but the words stick in his throat when he notices the way Xion almost glows in the fading light.


	30. Rave

**Thanks to DGMSilverAirHead03 for reviewing! (1. Living is _very_ good, LOL. It makes this a lot easier for Riku... 2. The single best comfort object ever—that would be Riku! 3. ROFL, he'll probably fall over dead—and Riku and Xion might not even notice! XD 4. XDDD Give him a little longer—he just got her back, LOL.)**

**Jealous!Xion is absolutely adorable, at least in my head. ^-^ The accent thing is a reference to the slang definition of "rave," around which this drabble is based; claims it's particularly British, so I thought I'd throw in a British accent... I fail at actually including it, LOL. Enjoy anyway!**

* * *

Xion can feel the disapproval—_not_ _jealousy_—pouring off herself, but if Riku notices around the thinner-than-a-stick girl between them, he doesn't give her any hint.

"There's gonna be a rave tonight," the girl says—more like _purrs_ in her accent—leaning close to Riku, "and I'd _love_ it if I saw you there."

"I'll see what I can do," he murmurs, leaned up against the wall, arms crossed as if to show off how muscled he's gotten to be.

Xion narrows her eyes, turns on her heel, and stomps off.

She doesn't see Riku smile while he watches her.


	31. Color Splash

**Thanks to...**

**Mirae-no-Sekai (Yeah, sorry, Xi... LOL, I can see her doing that; I can also see her giving him the silent treatment until he does something to tick the other girl off and send her packing, sic Lea and Roxas on him, kick his butt where Lea can see so Lea can humiliate him forever... Ah, the possibilities are endless. LOL, oh, yes, he's got a plan... primarily to ditch the clingy blonde, LOL.) for reviewing,**

**lightsoilder297 for the favorite story, and**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 (Well, I just don't know—it couldn't be the angry glare she's sending toward the blonde, could it? XD If I were the blonde and were actually paying attention, I'd be slipping away right about now and not show up again. ^-^) for reviewing!**

**Ah, Naminé... why are you my favorite character to force into teasing Riku? Possibly even more than Sora... Forgive the random lack of any actual goodness in this drabble—I'm finding I get stuck on a lot of these drabbles, LOL. Please enjoy anyway!**

* * *

Riku sits in silence for quite a while after Xion leaves, staring off into space after her. He doesn't even notice that Naminé's opened her sketchbook until she's almost done. "Now what are you drawing?"

"You. Here—" Riku takes a look at the offered sketchbook and snorts. "It's not quite done..." Naminé reaches for a red crayon and adds one last splash of color, then hands it back.

"…Why am I blushing?"

"Because you always blush when Xion's around."

Riku narrows his eyes at Naminé—

—and based on the flush he has now, she needs to use more red.


	32. Bandana

**Goldeneyes713 and I were conversing about my lack of good ideas for this prompt—sorry, Haruki fans, I couldn't quite justify putting him in—when she mentioned it might be cute if Xion tried wearing a blindfold like Riku had, which lead to this depressing-ness... Enjoy!**

* * *

"S'there a reason you're wearing a blindfold?"

"It's a bandana," Xion says; her eyelashes flutter against the black cloth wrapped around her head. "And I was hoping..."

"...What?" Riku asks, narrowing his eyes at her—though it's doubtful she can see that.

"...I was hoping I'd understand how you..."

Riku smiles, brushing a hand over her cheek, thumb sliding underneath the edge of the bandana. "I think you're missing a few things to complete the experience—a few things I hope you never have to experience. Besides—" he pushes the bandana over Xion's eyes "—I'd rather not hide your eyes."


	33. Stardust

**Thanks to...**

**Mirae-no-Sekai (LOL, nice—and very true. I'd go with your description and call it a weird protective instinct. Oh, that's not crazy at all—oddly enough, though, someone mentioned something very similar about a different drabble, so apparently I like hands. :P (And even if it was crazy, which it's not, if it's something positive about something I did, then hey, I'll take what I can get! XD.) LOL, my friend said something almost the same the first time she ever played Kingdom Hearts—"Oh my gosh, their eyes are so _pretty..._!") for reviewing,**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 (1. LOL, Naminé's got a whole corner of the "making fun/telling Riku" market to herself. XD 2. And that charm is definitely working... LOL.) for reviewing, and**

**Knight-Dawn for favoriting the last drabble on deviantArt—I would just go thank you there, but I don't want to overly clog your comments section because I know I would, and I know you read this...**

* * *

**The following drabble ends up relating back to an OHS theme, but you shouldn't have to read it to understand this at all; the theme in question, number 43, "Love," is more Riku's side of the same night. I'm guessing most of you who have read Knight-Dawn's challenge series "Two Hearts" might remember the one in question—she referenced it not too horribly long ago... The drabble also references Sakura Scout's theory that Xion's still very good with computers, particularly hacking, and as a result references one of my other stories, "Caught in the Act." You're welcome to look the chapters, stories, and authors mentioned! In fact, I encourage you to do so.**

**Sorry for the late update again! I had to look up the plot of the novel _Stardust_ for some inspiration—the same book that inspired the movie a few years ago—which lead to me listening to "Rule the World" by Take That, inspired by the movie, a couple dozen times. :) **

**"Stardust, noun: 1. a mass of distant stars appearing as tiny particles of dust; 2. a naively romantic quality." — **

**Set in Radiant Garden some time after Roxas, Xion, and co. wake up. I'm guessing this would be toward the more stressful "race to beat Xehanort" period of that imaginative, fanciful time...?**

* * *

"Whoever's out there, be warned—I was almost asleep."

Riku merely smirks when Xion opens her door. "Up for a climb?"

"No." Xion makes to shut the door, but Riku pushes on it, keeps it open. "Come on, I worked on Ansem's computer all day—for you, I might add—"

"I'm just trying to help." His hand slips in hers; he keeps half-closed eyes on them. "Please?"

And fifteen minutes and a quick climb to the rooftop later, Xion's curled against Riku's side, admiring the stardust in the sky—and, when Riku's not looking, the stardust reflecting from his eyes.

* * *

**Riku wins. ^-^**


	34. Dragon

**Thanks to...**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 (LOL, pretty much, and Riku's likely to stay in the lead for quite a while...) for reviewing,**

**g-peachy-chan (Cool! I don't mind if you don't review every day—it's just nice to know people are reading it, LOL. Aww... thanks so very much! I'm not gonna lie, that made my whole day. 8) That drabble as fun to write, too, once I got the idea. Good to know! Thanks again!) for reviewing, and**

**Knight-Dawn (HAH. We can beat the PM system. We rule. XD Congratulations once again! It's gotta feel nice... Thanks! Onto the drabbles... 1. Square did a nice job with the coloring in that level; it's so preeetty... LOL, good to know! :D 2. That is perfectly fine and a reasonable response, LOL. To be honest, I've felt that way about a lot of the drabbles I've posted lately... I blame it on repeat themes. :P 3. Score one for the day... I've got the feeling she's got a silly streak in her just like Kairi... Haha, I bet she does, too, but she's not showing him that one for a while... It might even be one of the first ones she drew... 4. Score two... XD I would think that would actually be Riku's worst fear now; he knows he's conquered his own darkness and could do it again, but losing his friends to the Darkness again... They could probably beat it as well, but he would hate to watch them suffer that way... 5. Score three! I love that one, too, personally—and I worked in both meanings of the word. Oh yeah, LOL.) for reviewing!**

* * *

**Relates back to OHS, chapters 43 and 72, and the longer story "Not Me," in which Maleficent takes revenge on Riku for his role in her defeat and curses Xion similarly to Aurora. Riku is understandably not happy. Enjoy!**

* * *

The Keyblade pulses in Riku's hand, cold waves of hatred flooding him like high tide.

Maleficent's yellow eyes gleam. "I've no further quarrel with you, Riku—my revenge has been exacted."

"I haven't gotten my revenge on you."

Xion lies unmoving somewhere in the tower behind him, as if dead.

He will never forgive Maleficent. Never again. Not for this.

He lunges; Maleficent disappears in green fire, reappearing behind him. "Then I've no further choice," she says, spreading her arms wide—

The world explodes, but Riku merely tightens his grip on the Keyblade as the dragon materializes from the smoke.


	35. Meme

**Thanks to Knight-Dawn for reviewing! (XD Oh, yeah, ultimate showdown right here! I kinda want to see Riku do this to the _actual _Maleficent, not the memory-version, LOL. Thanks! I guess the whole plot is a tribute to the fact that I was obsessed with _Sleeping Beauty_ as a child, not to mention Maleficent's awesomeness in KH, _plus_ the horrible heartbreak potential in this whole situation. I feel horrible for killing Roxas's hope that way, though... LOL. Originally Maleficent was just going to maim/seriously injure/kill Riku and be on her way, but then Xion stepped in and put herself in the middle of the conflict, which is when Maleficent gets crafty and curses Xion. Had she stuck to the original plan, she'd be way better off... Oops. Thanks again!)**

* * *

**While looking up possible memes on which to base this drabble, I ran across the infamous "How to Wear a Men's Shirt" picture meme... If you haven't seen any of them, you probably should to get the true horror behind this meme... Plus it's funny to watch guys make fun of it. XD Enjoy!**

* * *

"Promise you won't laugh?"

"I'm the one who abandoned you to Selphie—the least I can do is not laugh."

"You're a gentleman after all," Xion says through the door, sighs, and kicks the door open.

"...Is that my shirt?" Not that Riku minds that part—he never liked that shirt, anyway. Riku minds how it's twisted up into a very unflattering dress.

"Yeah... Selphie wanted to see one before she tried it. Guess who got to be her doll." Xion pulls at the top of the dress self-consciously. "What do you think?"

"…_You_ look pretty..."

"You always say that."


	36. Battle

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing (Aren't they? I don't think that looks cool at all... XD Glad you thought it was funny—in the drabble it would be a white lie, I guess; the full ling in my head that couldn't be fit in was "_You_ look good..." "You always say that." "...But the dress is really ugly, sorry. Get it out of here." "Agreed." :P Darn word limits, LOL. Either way he avoids getting kicked to the dog house for saying the wrong thing, though... Why is it so much fun to make Selphie strange? I'm sure she's not really... Well, I think... XD), and**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 for reviewing (1. She should—but no one's ever accused Maleficent of being wise in situations such as this... 2. Y'know, that is the perfect response to that—it's funny, but it's so pathetic... XDDD)!**

* * *

**Muahaha... The long-awaited (not) third part of Xion versus Ansem has been uploaded! XD There will likely be one last part I'll write that would come directly after this one—but we'll see it when we get there. Enjoy!**

* * *

Of all her days in the Organization, Xion's never fought a battle this hard—but though she can feel herself gasping and bleeding, she's not tired, not when she can see Ansem's strength giving and Riku cradling his mangled wrist beyond the force-field.

Ansem's Guardian slips away in a cloud of Darkness while Ansem glares. "This is hardly over, child—"

"You're right—" and Xion charges on final time with every intention of ending this—ending _him—_

But Ansem steps into a Corridor and vanishes before her blow lands.

"...Thank you."

Riku's voice echoes in the silence that is her answer.


	37. Save Me

**Thanks to Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing! (XD Got that, Xion? It would have made everyone's lives a helluva lot easier... (See, that's why I need a DS or something... XD) You do that, I'll get Riku and Xion, ; the entire world will be behind you, cheering them on. Major hell to pay—which might be why Xion gets _so pissed off_ at Ansem... No messing with her potential boyfriends! (Oh, dear... you just stole her thunder... I'd run now, with the mood she's in... XD)**

* * *

**I'm having fun connecting these drabble to OHS... Sorry about that, LOL. This particular one connects to chapter 96, "Beach," both of which are set on Destiny Islands the night before the final battle. Enjoy!**

* * *

Xion sits on the shore, the waves lapping at her feet while she gazes into the starry sky above. Riku's heart wants to break at the lonely picture she paints, convincing his feet to move him forward and join her.

"Save me," she says as he sits beside her. One hand stretches out for his.

"From what?" He takes her hand, intertwines their fingers.

"Being scared all the time." She turns to him, eyes wide and smirk tired. "I don't want to think about what's happening tomorrow anymore."

And he pushes forward and kisses her until their breath runs out.


	38. Elements

**Thanks to Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing! (LOL, Riku's good at being hero anymore, especially Xion's hero. :) ROFLMAO—too true, too true, you're kind of reading my mind; that's exactly where the OHS drabble that connected to was going... XD LOL, since you begged, you've made her feel horrible guilty and she would like to buy you a cookie. (Don't ask. XD) Plus you offered to take out Xehanort; that'll always win her over. ^-^ (Aha, I see—I KNEW I should have saved my money for a PSP. *Pouts.)**

* * *

**This one was fun to write; I played a bit with the format for once. Let me know if you like it? LOL, enjoy!**

* * *

_**Earth**_

He's as solid as the land itself, reliable and easy for her to fall back on when she has no strength left.

_**Water**_

Her devotion surrounds him like the ocean, clear and simple but _deep_; she keeps him afloat when all else has cast him away.

_**Air**_

Together they are as free as the wind running through their hair. No fear, no expectations of one another exist, simply the simplicity of how their hands fit together.

_**Fire**_

But together their passion is like fire, warming and illuminating and all-consuming, and Riku and Xion wouldn't trade it for anything.


	39. Torture

**Thanks to...**

**Mirae-no-Sekai (What, too cute, cuddly, and sappy for you? Maybe I should send you an Ansem-kitty... XD I'll keep that in mind, though. It was refreshing just to write a different format, LOL; I'm glad you liked the references and connections in it! (LOL, Xion is appeased. Enjoy your cookie!)) for reviewing, and**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 (1. Oh yeah. LOL. 2. ROFLMAO... oh, that's awesome... XDDD 3. Thanks ever so much!) for reviewing!**

* * *

**Yay, more depressing prompts... XD This is another drabble that has a slight connection to an OHS drabble, but it's so small it would be pointless to look it up. :P Ah, Riku versus Roxas... There is one spot of Riku/Xion, and while it's not very big, I'm sure you'll see it. Enjoy!**

* * *

"What do you mean, you don't know what happened?"

"I told you, I wasn't there. The only one who knows is Axel, and he's not able to tell us—"

Roxas growls and storms away from Riku, hovering outside the infirmary door, but there is no indication of how serious this may be—not that they need it; the dried crimson on Riku's hands is testament enough.

"I don't want you in there. It's your fault she's in there dying."

"Isn't this torture enough?" Riku murmurs, but with his eyes closed and Roxas staying silent, he never gets an answer.


	40. Wrath

**Thanks to...**

**Mirae-no-Sekai (She pulls through; she just gets stuck in the ultimate hell—bed rest. :P LOL, nooo, please don't! XD In all seriousness, though, those two just break our hearts on a regular basis... Muahaha, I thought you'd "appreciate" that, LOL. And the cookie!) for reviewing,**

**Knight-Dawn (who literally updated right when I was writing my thank yous...) (LOL, I _knew_ I should have cut a bit more out and fit that line in... XD Ah, well, live and learn. 1. I like that, "disappointing in the best way possible"... Darn you, Ansem! LOL. Sweet until Xion starts getting fussy... o.o (That's coming up soon; you'll see what I mean...) 2. You interpreted the comments correctly—that drabble is pretty much the beginning of my baby, LOL. I'm glad you like him so much, though, so I'll ignore the possibly "dangerous" obsession, XD 3. That one was _fun_. Like, outrageously fun, especially with all the references to their names and such... Glad you liked them as much as I did. 4. ...How do you do that? XD Yes, it does connect to "Blood," and I think "On Top of the World" and technically "Silence" were related to the same arc—which pretty much tells you that Riku said something to piss Xion off, and then we see her get hurt, Roxas pitch a fit, and Riku still sneaks into the infirmary to see her afterward... You'll like how Riku gets in to see her, though. Mostly he and Roxas are just blaming him for something he didn't do—in fact, Xion actually did it to herself. :P Oh, good. ^-^) for reviewing, and**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 (Poor guy indeed...) for reviewing!**

* * *

**I feel that I should warn you that this drabble got a _little_ dark—and by that, I mean pretty dark. XD I got into the whole "Riku versus Maleficent" arc... If you didn't read the backstory I pointed out earlier, particularly the longer oneshot "Not Me" and chapter 72 of OHS, you might want to so the last line makes full sense. Also, I'm guessing that Sora, Riku, and company will likely visit the worlds they freed from the Realm of Sleep later on and get to visit them a little more in depth. Enjoy!**

* * *

Riku remembers some things better than others from his journeys across the worlds.

He remembers, for example, the service he witnessed in Notre Dame Cathedral; he remembers their teachings.

He remembers the deadly sins. He remembers that wrath is among them.

Yet Riku cannot force himself to care that he struck down a witch for no other reason than revenge, to _make her suffer every ounce as much as she's made me suffer and will make me suffer_.

He cannot even regret thrusting his blade through her dragon-hide stomach, relishing her screams.

Not now that he's likely to lose Xion.


	41. California

**With as much as pop music is overplayed on the radio, is it any wonder I channeled "California Gurls?" XD Enjoy this...**

* * *

"I think I died and gone to heaven," Lea sighs, tripping over his feet as Riku pulls him along behind him.

"Yeah, yeah, you're only saying that 'cause you're drunk," Riku mutters. "Can we find the girls and get outta here?"

"'M not drunk!" Lea stops. "Is that them there?"

Riku turns to look—and almost has a heart attack.

Because _damn_, Xion in a bikini, even if she's hiding behind Kairi, is well worth the double-take.

"Still don't wanna stay in California a while?" Lea snickers and swaggers to the girls, and after a quick nosebleed check, Riku follows.


	42. Vacation

**Thanks to...**

**Mirae-no-Sekai (XD No kidding... The double-take's almost not worth it if Roxas is there, let alone a sober Lea. I get the feeling Lea would be cooler about it than Roxas, though. Finally, a happy beach scenario! LOL.) for reviewing, and**

**Knight-Dawn (Then I will just have to make a point of including them soon. ^-^ 1. Well, I like writing it, so we may just have to keep coming back to this. XD I know, I was extremely disappointed in lack of interaction between Riku and Maleficent in KHII, too. -_- That world has a lot of plot points that could connect rather well to Kingdom Hearts as a whole, so they'd better bring it back! LOL. 2. Glad you liked. :D Two in one! Lea's follow-up was my favorite. Plus I finally had a good reason to curse. XD) for reviewing!**

* * *

**Happy Father's Day! It's kind of funny how I post this drabble today... ****Written almost entirely because of Knight-Dawn; I say almost entirely because she's the one that got Haruki stuck in my head for a while again, but I've been meaning to write about him for a while.**

**Haruki, my OC and the son of Riku and Xion, is a reference to OHS, and he originally appears in chapters 23, 86, 69, and 72, and now he has his own story that is way behind schedule, but it gives you a tiny taste of where he's going to end up. Also, I know that Knight-Dawn has an OC with the same name and parentage—in fact, she double-checked that it was alright to use that name and such. He looks the same as mine, but keep in mind they are still two different people.**

**Okay, rant over. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Aw, _Mama—_"

"D'you want to be red like a lobster and be miserable for the rest of vacation?"

"No..."

"Then hold still while I put your sunscreen on," Xion says, swiping some lotion from a pile on her hand and smearing it across Haruki's forehead. "Why, oh, why did both your parents have to be so pale..."

"Are you calling me and my son pasty white kids? 'Cause your best friends are way paler," Riku laughs.

"They're worse than Haruki, maybe." Xion leans back and assesses her handiwork. "Alright, you're good. Now let's go push Dad in the ocean."

"_Yes!_"


	43. Tree

**Thanks to Knight Dawn for reviewing! (Haruki! LOL, it's the best kind of blame, isn't it? I actually didn't even think about the fact that I was posting that drabble on Father's Day until I opened the file up to add some comments... Oh, yeah, he's like his mom that way. XD) And thanks for favoriting the last two on dA!**

* * *

**I swear, if Pocahontas, Atlantis, and the Fates don't show up in one way or another in KHIII, I'm going after someone... XD Inspiration for this came almost entirely from a thirty-second clip from Pocahontas on YouTube: "Pocahontas, that tree is talking to me." LOL... Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hello, Riku."

Riku takes a step back. "Xion?"

"Yes?" From where she sits cross-legged behind him, Xion grins; the raccoon in her lap coos like it's laughing at him—which it probably is.

"That tree is talking to me." Grandmother Willow's face emerges from her bark, smiling benevolently, and Riku takes another step.

"Told you." Xion picks up Meeko and rises to walk up beside him. "Maybe you should say something back..."

"Like what? It already knows my name!"

"Well, I told her that."

"You told the talking tree about me?"

"All about you, young man..." Grandmother Willow winks.


	44. Hands in the Air

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing (XDDD Stranger danger! Stranger danger! Hahaha... It would, and Grandmother Willow is just awesomeness in a tree. Now that you put it that way, it does look adorable... not just funny, LOL. I agree; it made my whole day when I saw that was going to happen...),**

**Biscuit Lord for the author alert, and**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 for the reviews! (1. Yup. She's a goner... Pity. 2. XD I like to hear that, LOL—the two of them would totally do that, though, LOL. 3. It's the best fun in the _whooole world_... Or so Haruki would think. 4. I agree; Grandmother Willow helped make that movie so awesome... Riku's face would be sooo priceless...)**

* * *

**Ah, twisting prompts in fun ways... XD Set sometime in KHIII or beyond. Enjoy!**

* * *

"What the—" Riku smirks when Xion stops dead in her tracks. "Riku, why are you in my room?"

"Thought I'd surprise you." He puts his hands behind his head and stretches. "Plus your room is closer than mine."

"You're only here 'cause you won't walk to your own room?"

Riku grins.

Xion laughs, throwing her hands in the air. "What am I going to do with you?"

"You could kiss me goodnight..."

"You came over here to get some, didn't you?"

"Not entirely," he says, kissing her temple when she sits on her bed. "I just wanted to see you."


	45. Hidden

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing (Agreed! Muahaha, desired effect achieved. I was kind of worried while writing that one—I was going to leave it at all fun and games, but that felt out of character, so I reworked the end, and now you get funny _and_ cute. LOL, "closet sap"... that's him to a tee!), and**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 for reviewing! (LOL, glad you liked!)**

* * *

**As promised, the final section from the Xion versus Ansem arc. ^-^ I was wondering if this still connected to OHS as I originally intended it, but I think it still works... This connects to prompts 11, 22, and 36 and technically to OHS prompts 60, 63, and particularly 67, if you're interested in seeing the whole thing come together. Order: 63, 60, 11, 22, 36, this drabble, and 67. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Why do you keep everything hidden from me?"

Riku closes his eyes before Xion can glare at him. He doesn't answer.

Xion sighs. "Riku, I'm not upset about what he—what you did, all right? I don't blame you, and goodness knows you've sacrificed everything to make it right." A hand settles on his upper arm, and without a word the bones in his wrist straighten and connect again; Riku opens his eyes slowly to meet hers. "I'm just hurt that you didn't tell me."

He flinches, eyes staying shut. "I'm sorry," he murmurs.

Her hand slips down into his.


	46. Shout

**Thanks to Knight-Dawn for reviewing! (93 might technically be, but I don't think it is—I imagined "Pain" as Xion healing it for good, maybe before all of this, but it's still an easy place to hurt Riku afterwrds. Not to mention Ansem would be evil and aim for it to remind him of fighting Roxas and all his "failures..." Good to hear! Indeed Xion does—I'm guessing he underestimates her ability to sympathize, LOL. That's Riku for you, but it all works out. (He _is_ more mature, not to mention much more confident in himself. ^_^))**

* * *

**Please note that I'm getting my wisdom teeth taken out today (DDDX), hence the super-early update today, so tomorrow's update will probab;y be really late or the next day... :P**

**Not as awesome as I wanted, but I'm still pretty satisfied. Goodness, is it fun to make Isa an ass... :P Enjoy!**

* * *

Riku hits the ground hard, Isa behind him.

"So you're going to leave him lying on the ground like this, Fourteen?" Isa says; Riku can sense the Claymore aimed at his heart. "After all that he's done for you?"

"Leave him alone, Saïx!" Riku can't see Xion or what she's doing, can only hear her—to his relief, she's still far away from Isa.

But not for long.

"You're more Heartless than I expected—even for a Replica."

Isa knows just what to say...

With a shout Riku turns, Keyblade in hand and landing a dead hit on Isa.


	47. Teehee!

**Thanks to...**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 for reviewing (1. Indeed he is, but I get the feeling he's part of the reason she's learned to be understanding... Either way... 2. Yeah. That's his special talent. Which, in the right circumstances, is a good one, but it's horrible for the rest of the world when it's Isa... XD),**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing (Heh, heh, heh, I think he'd take you up on that, LOL. One hell of a way to instigate in one line there, Isa... LOL, "amazed by..." Agreed, that's a little bit of an unconventional thought to be wondering over in the middle of a battle to protect your almost-girlfriend's honor, but in context... Oh, he will—_with_ Xion, LOL.), and**

**BlackRose129 for the favorite story and story alert! ^-^**

* * *

**I guess y'all get an earlier update then I planned... The lack of wisdom teeth is going great!**

**I've had this one done for a while. ^-^ And here I reference another aspect of my reasoning behind RikuXion and not RokuXion—yes, Roxas and Xion have a deep bond, but based on what I've seen of Roxas when it comes to Xion in _Days_, he tends to be a bit overprotective of a girl that can and does take care of herself, and while Xion would probably appreciate the help, she doesn't need a knight in shining armor—something which Riku, more often than not, is aware of and is willing to work together with her. After all, he let Xion have her right to choose her own fate... **

**Also, keep in mind that I will not be uploading tomorrow—in fact, I won't be on this site at all... ;) Enjoy!**

* * *

_"I don't need your help, Roxas..."_

"Don't smile, Riku," Sora drawls, eyes closed. "Wouldn't want to give the others the wrong impression."

Riku's smirk, however, grows; he leans back in his chair and observes the argument before them. "What, that you're secretly ecstatic that Roxas and Xion are fighting and I'm amused by it?"

_"...I just need you to trust me!"_

"Teehee, no, that _you're_ ecstatic."

"Now, why would that be the case?"

"You're not making this any easier on _me_, y'know. You may be my friend, but Roxas is my Other—"

"Oh, but I've known you longer." Riku grins.


	48. Harmony

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing (LOL, no kidding. Let's hope the protest works. 1. LOL, I like the way you write that. At least time they get a good hit on him... That would be it. Either/or on which part is the insult, or maybe the whole comment is the seventh... either way... 2. Glad you liked it! _Yes_, that's it to a tee. ^_^ (You're lucky, LOL. It actually isn't too bad if you stay on top of the meds, though—I haven't missed a pill yet, and I only ache a little from opening my mouth to eat. It's awesome...) Yup, you got it. _Exactly_. Ansem is an A-hole. And that is all. :D), and**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing! (Oh, yeah, he'll be dead if Roxas catches him now. XD Sora'll just sit there in the sun and say, "Told ya so." Thank you, and I'm glad you see that, too! Hadn't though about Riku not playing the hero that way, but that makes sense. ^-^ Yup, it was the blaaackooouuut... :P I bet it was. Hooray! Thank you!)**

* * *

**Thanks everyone for bearing with me during the blackout yesterday! I decided I'd go ahead and upload two drabbles today to make it up to your poor hearts... XD Set during/after KHIII... Ah, Atlantica. That world is a bit embarrassing for the players, let alone the characters... XD**

* * *

Riku's pretty sure if Xion blushes any redder, the water is going to start boiling.

It's bad enough that she's having to swim around without a shirt, but now Sebastian's asking her to...

"Sing?" she chokes. "I—I don't sing, trust me. Roxas can, but—"

"Oh, you're not that bad, Xion!" Roxas grins like he's helping.

"You could try harmony," Riku says. "Just follow me."

"Okay." As the others drift away, Xion whispers, "Thanks."

"No problem. I've had to do it a few times—all you have to do is stay in the back and mouth the words." Riku winks.


	49. Smile

**Directly after chapter 13, "Lucky," of OHS, which is set the moment Xion returns. Also references Riku's slight character improvement since KHII, but there are _no spoilers_ for 3D! Enjoy!**

* * *

_"Just the thought of you can drive me wild—oh, you make me smile." —"Smile," Uncle Kracker._

* * *

"All right, who are you, and what have you done with Riku?"

"Huh?" Riku takes a step back, letting his arms fall from her shoulders.

Xion crosses her arms and frowns. "The Riku I met never hugged people, and he never cracked jokes when rescuing dizzy, falling girls—I would know. So, who are you really?"

"It's still me," Riku laughs. "But I'm _happy_ now. Do you realize how long it took us to bring you back? Besides—" He reaches up to brush her hair back, just like before... "You made me want to smile more than you realize."


	50. Dreaming

**Thanks to Knight-Dawn for reviewing! (LOL, your whole review made me laugh. A lot. ^_^ Please do not stop the squeeing, it's quite fun. i'm glad you liked, and I'm still sorry for double-posting yesterday and almost screwing up our awesome number count - but we saved it! Yay! Thanks again!)**

* * *

**Guess what, Mirae-no-Sekai? There's a booonus drabble for this prompt... ;D The downside is, we have to wait fifty days to see it. :| Rats. In other news, we are halfway done! Hooray!**

* * *

"Are you sure I'm not dreaming?"

"If you are," Xion murmurs, "remind me to hurt you tomorrow." The butterfly kiss she presses at the base of his throat stops his laughter.

"Why would I tell you about a dream like this if it didn't happen? Especially if you were going to take me out." His hands glide over her, wrapping around her waist and holding her close.

"You win." She hums when Riku turns his head and kisses down her neck; he smiles.

"So what does the winner get?"

"To kiss me." Her arms slip around his neck. "_Really_ kiss me."


	51. Moon

**Thanks to...**

**Knight Dawn for reviewing (Oh, I did. ^_^ So, it has come to this... I don't think I'll be able to hold up my end of the bargain—I have too much fodder with the head-canon of these two... (Well, I'm glad to know you think my drabble was adorable. XDD Thanks, though.) I take it the last one was the opposite end of the "aww" spectrum? LOL, I don't think it was _this_ time... (_NOES._ Not the return of the water puns! I swear, there will be a whale of a payback for this eventually... (And you thought _you_ were pushing it, XD)) I'm not sure if you'll like the bonus or not—and by that, I mean that it's sad again, LOL. I'm going to try to—I'm usually writing these drabbles the day I post them, which means I post what I can get done. There aren't a lot of outtake drabbles so far, but if I don't find a lot, I'll post some of the other drabbles I wrote before I started the challenge that are still RikuShi. ^-^ That'll be fun to see! Can't wait.),**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing (LOL, glad you liked! Well, I don't _think_ they're up to anything _too_ steamy, LOL... Goodnight kisses? XD Something tells me, too, but I don't know what... :D Can't wait to show you...), and**

**MegaWallflower for all twenty-three reviews! 8D**

* * *

**"Moon" has at least one extra drabble at the end of this challenge—it depends on if I still like the second attempt at this. This one goes back to #05., "Nighttime," and is set approximately two seconds afterward. ^_^ I thought it would be fun to get Riku's side of the whole thing... Enjoy!**

* * *

Riku almost runs around the hotel a few times to shake off this excess energy. It's like he's been struck by lightning, but the electricity is still running through him—up, down, a million different ways, all leading back to the same place.

He forces himself into his room, though, flopping on his bed and pulling his hands up behind his head. He doesn't even notice he's grinning until he touches his lips, remembering his bravery.

Riku spends the rest of the night memorizing the way Xion's eyes shine under the light of the moon right before he kisses her.


	52. Fall

**Thanks to...**

**Mirae-no-Sekai (LOL, darn it, Riku! No kidding... silly Riku. ^_^) for reviewing,**

**MegaWallflower for the continued reviews (O.O Hooray for being caught up, though! :D 6. Forever. - Eh, oh, well, you saw it. ^_^ Agreed!),**

**delphigirl698 for the favorite story (^_^), and**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing! (LOL, in that case, I wish you luck. Can't wait to see them! LOL. I shall keep that in mind... Heh, heh, heh... Haha, Riku's getting good at doing that. Thank you! Ohhh yeah, as if she wasn't there a lot subconsciously, but now... he's done for. XD)**

* * *

**Okay, I swear, I'm done with Riku vs. Maleficent. Seriously. Maybe. I dunno. We'll see...**

* * *

"Xion? Xion! Come on, where are you?"

Riku kicks another door open, but the circular room beyond is just as empty as the last room. He could've sworn he heard _something_ in here...

_"Come hither, child..."_

Riku's blood freezes.

_That's—_

"Maleficent!" Damn it, he never should have left Xion alone, not for a second—

He barrels through the next two rooms before he finds them...

… A moment too late.

Xion falls perfectly in his arms, like she'd planned it all, except that he fails her, falling to his knees with her, cradling her numbly while Maleficent turns her back.


	53. Tears

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing (DX Yes, it's _her..._ Hiss. I would agree... and then it all goes downhill for everyone from there... (Cue malevolent music, LOL.) Haha, true—at first, Riku got on my nerves a bit, but by the time Hollow Bastion rolled around, he got me, not gonna lie. LOL, it only took, what, eight or nine years to find her... XD Although I still see/like NamiRiku...), and**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing! ((Oh, noes, that just makes me think of _The Lion King_... DX) Give him a moment... and... You got it—this whole arc connects right back to both OHS and Not ME; I kept thinking about the scenario and adding to it. Thus, you get the whole thing now. ^_^ Enjoy!)**

* * *

**Nope, not done with Riku vs. Maleficent—had an idea, must write. ^_^ Thanks, MegaWallflower! Set a while before the last one. Forgive me - it feels like I'm channeling some _Twilight_ in here somewhere... DX**

**Not gonna lie, I kinda want to give myself a black eye. I just realized that this is the second plot line in which Xion gets seriously hurt and there's RokuShiRiku drama. -_- No more of that, I say! I may yet render the other scenario AU even in my own headcanon... XD**

* * *

Silence rings throughout the room as Xion's voice falters and falls silent; she glances up at Roxas, scared but steady. Riku looks away.

This is between them—and looking at Xion is more than he can stand anymore.

"What?" Riku turns back just in time to see Roxas marching at him, face contorted into a snarl. "How could you let this happen?"

"Roxas...!"

The other _boy_ manages to stop himself before he slams Riku into the wall, but only just. "Have you ever considered that you're no good for her?"

"Have you?" Riku snaps.

"Enough!"

Even Roxas heeds Xion's tears.


	54. Bleeding

**Thanks to...**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing (LOL, that's alright, that's my fault. That drabble went back to the Riku vs. Maleficent plotline; that's the moment when Xion finally owns up and tells Roxas that she's cursed... Roxas really didn't take it well. I like the way you said that—"double-edged." Hadn't seen that, but that's perfect right there, LOL. Poor Xion indeed—her best friend and her boyfriend hate each other, and now she's gonna die, and they hate each other even more... It never ends! LOL, I'm sorry!... sort of... XD), and**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing! (Yeah, no, it's not my favorite, either. :P Glad you like! LOL, oh, yeah, gotta love it. It's all Roxas's fault! (Seriously, though, if he wasn't so overprotective, I wouldn't have fodder... XD) The other scenario was actually the "Blood" scenario—if both that scenario and the "Riku vs. Maleficent" scenario occurred, they'd be within a few months of each other, which is going a bit overboard on the drama (and painful stuff) even for me. -_- What I'm thinking of doing is including "Blood" but rendering it kinda AU by putting it a few months after MX is defeated... (Enjoy the popcorn for me! I'm still on a forced hiatus...) LOL, "sad faces..." Agreed. ^_^)**

* * *

**Set at the very end of _358/2 Days_. Nothing much to say today. ^_^**

* * *

He knows where Roxas will be.

Had Sora been in his place—had Riku himself been in his place—he would have gone back.

Sora would have searched for an answer, a miracle. Riku would have searched for revenge.

Riku wants to search for revenge even now—but it never was his place, and it never will be. It was Roxas's place.

Roxas will go back and search for both.

And so Riku waits at Memory's Skyscraper, biding his time and watching, his memories of _Xion_ bleeding into monochrome and—whether he admits it or not—his heart following suit.


	55. Chase

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing (I can definitely see why. OH MAH GOODNESS, why would you tell me that, it's so sad, I love it... XD I can see him trying to hold on that long. LOL! _Exactly_. I can see Roxas going back specifically for revenge, too, but we shall never know now... Thanks!), and**

**RoseOfADifferentColor for reviewing twice and for the story alert! (26. Fate. - _I know, right?_ LOL, I'd looove to see the Fates show up. XD He is, he is. 31. Color Splash. - He's done for, XD.)**

* * *

**Sorry for the delay! Sequel to "Rave."**

* * *

"Finally." Riku rests his arm on the bar counter behind Xion. Xion merely quirks an eyebrow, scopes out the crowd swaying and "dancing" under the lights. "Been looking for you for a while."

"Figured you were busy with the blonde," she says, arms crossed.

"Yeah, busy trying to get rid of her." Riku turns to watch the crowd. "Awfully rude of you to lead me on a wild chase when you're my only friend here."

"I thought she was the reason you came here." _No_ she did not sound hopeful...

"Ha. No." Casually Riku slips a hand on her shoulder.


	56. Eating

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing (LOL, are you, perhaps, reading my mind? XD LOL, just a hair—he's probably wondering how Xion fell for that, ^_^. Ahaha, that makes sense! (Yes, the inspiring continues... XD) Looking forward to it! I saw the other one, LOL—d'aww, that's so goshdarn cute... Fun take on the western theme there.), and**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing! (ROFL—you did it again; I smiled the whole way through. Thank you! It's not just me! Dancing's no fun anymore, LOL. XD, "minor tantrum..." Oh, that's good. :D She rather did, didn't she? Quite passive aggressive of her, actually... "Angst-hammered..." You're on a roll today, LOL. Yeah, you guys deserve a few fun ones. I really should put up an angst warning when I do challenges... Sadly, today's ends up on the angst end of the spectrum... :P Hope you enjoy anyway!)**

**You know when you get all worried right before something big and you don't feel like eating? Like, I do it for a few hours before I go on to perform something...**

* * *

"Breaking into my room again?"

"I can't be breaking in if you're waiting for me." Xion sashays across the room, smirking, and climbs onto the bed beside Riku.

"I beg to differ. You still had to sneak in." Riku wraps an arm around Xion, kissing her forehead—

—and pulls back, brow slightly furrowed. "You been eating enough?"

Xion tenses. "Yes. Why?"

She doesn't need to ask—she shudders as his hand runs down her back, grazing the traces of bone jutting out from her skin.

Riku's frown deepens; he pulls Xion close, whispers, "I'm sorry I make you worry."


	57. Best Friends

**Thanks to...**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing (Muahaha, so I guess Riku loses that round of banter. XD "Outsmarting Roxas..." yup, that's pretty much it. Or get rid of Xehanort. That would likely ease her worries. ROFLMAO—yeah, Xion, just 'cause Axel's you're best friend doesn't mean you should be just like him... True, at least this time you get banter. ^_^ LOL, thanks! I try to make it realistic. Here ya go, one drabble that is nothing but sunshine and rainbows! XD), and**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing! (LOL, exactly—she's just built so tiny that it doesn't take much for any change to show up, :P. LOL, that's funny—I just do it off and on throughout the year, mostly when there's something I'm getting ready for. I forget to eat when I'm cleaning the house, for Pete's sake... (Oh, the joys of eating in public... and _you lucky bucko,_ XD. I was not blessed with high metabolism, LOL.) I can see where it'd be tricky, but it came out nicely! They both sneak around a lot, XD. I guess they're too sued to trying not to be seen when they're together? XD)**

* * *

**Yeah, sure, this is technically the "best friend" zone, but I'd think the best friend has a tad more potential than just a friend, eh? Enjoy!**

* * *

"Here, catch."

Xion barely has time to look up before Riku tosses _something_ at her. She gasps a little to herself upon catching it; sure enough, when she flips the flattened stick over, she's greeted with a large "WINNER."

"Sora convinced me to stop at the Twilight Town stand. It made me think of you." Riku shrugs.

"Thanks—you didn't have to do that." Xion clutches it close to her.

"It's nothing much. That's what best friends do, right?" He walks away without waiting for her answer.

_Best friends..._ Xion smiles a little, promising herself that she'll never use it.


	58. Together

**Thanks to Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing! (LOL, it returns! :D Awww, that _is_ adorable—I hadn't really thought that far, but that's so cuuute... XD Glad ya liked it!)**

* * *

**Ah, Lea... I always figured you'd be the one to figure out if Xion had a secret boyfriend first. ;)**

* * *

"So, you and Riku are together?"

"Mmhmm." Xion examines her uneven fingernails, studiously avoiding having to look at Lea.

"Have you told Roxas yet?"

"What do you think?" Xion takes a chance and glances up at her friend, raising her eyebrows.

Lea smirks. "I take that as a 'no.'"

"That's putting it mildly." She sighs and lifts her head, crossing her arms. "But you don't... mind?"

"Not if that's what makes you happy." Shrugging, he leans back on the wall, genuinely smiling. "Although I'm a little hurt that you didn't just tell me."

"Sorry."

"Then why're you grinning like that?"


	59. Fishing

**Thanks to...**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 for all the reviews last night (which I will respond to shortly, I promise—oh, holiday weekends), and**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing! (LOL, just Lea's luck... XD True, true, and Lea's never really had anything against Riku based on how he treats him at the end of 3D... Finally, an almost-cry out of happiness! ^_^ LOL, probably not—it would still mean something to Xion, though, if only because he knew it was her favorite treat and gave it to her instead of Sora or someone else... ^_^ Hope you enjoy!)**

* * *

**Dang it, missed the deadline by five minutes. Darn holidays! XD**

**Y'all can hate me now... This was going to be a Haruki prompt, but I couldn't quite figure out how I wanted to work it. Each one had Xion not liking fishing, though, and that all goes back to an observation Sakura Scout made in her own RikuXi series, "Shadowed Land and Imaginary Tide." Xion practically had to lure Roxas in the same way as you would lure a fish, and she had to trick him into defeating her before she destroyed him. -_- Thanks, Sakura Scout, for being such a wonderful writer that way. ^_^ Enjoy the drabble!**

* * *

"So, this is all there is to it? Nothing... interesting?"

Riku chuckles. "This is all. You sit here in a boat and wait until you have a fish hooked. It's more fun when you have a few people with you."

"Oh really." Xion crosses her arms and stares him down dryly.

"Yeah. It's bonding time."

"You know what else counts as bonding time? Defeating Heartless together. And that's not nearly as inhumane."

"Hey, you have to eat something."

"Sure, but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy luring fish in and tricking them to their deaths."

Riku drops his gaze.


	60. Rainbow

**I didn't really know what to do with this prompt—seriously, _rainbows_? I went with Xion knowing a bit about physical science due to being created by Vexen again, though, which is fun. All of the facts Xion says or is about to say come from Wikipedia, so take them as you may. There's a bonus drabble for this for anyone who's read "Sleeping to Dream," too... ;) Enjoy!**

* * *

"I swear, if you don't quit talking science, I'll _make_ you stop." Riku narrows his eyes.

Xion grins. "Since the raindrops deflect light, the sky beyond the rainbow is dark, creating a patch between them called Alexander's band—"

"You'll be seeing rainbows if you don't stop. Why do I have to hear about this?"

"Rainbows are fascinating. Did you know that it's possible to create a rainbow to the two-hundredth order—"

But everything Xion was about to say vanishes as Riku presses his lips to hers solidly.

"Told you I'd make you see rainbows," he murmurs as he pulls away.


	61. Dying

**Thanks to...**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 (Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! My email went on the fritz and didn't get any of my FanFic emails for the past day or so, and I completely missed that you reviewed 59! In response... LOL, atta girl, Xion. :D) for reviewing, and**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing! (LOL, when I was writing it, I kept thinking of a _Fringe_ fanfic I'd read years ago—Olivia Dunham's genius boyfriend starts muttering scientific mumbo-jumbo in his sleep, so Olivia kisses him to shut up... And then he starts doing it on purpose without her knowing it. Genius indeed... XD (You saw her hack that computer, LOL—I'm not entirely making it up... But if she's been programmed to know/learn all this, then why didn't Vexen teach her the basic idea behind a friend...? Ass.) Ahem, anyway, I'd assume it would be Riku, too, or maybe Sora if he can't for some reason... It is kinda sad, really... :P I have never gone fishing, so I wouldn't know—I wouldn't like touching the fish or trying to bait the hook, though. Oh, jeeze, worst fishing trip ever! :P LOL, oh, yes, it was the sequel that made you cry... Heh, heh—wait, what? XD I don't think this one will make you cry, but it should elicit a big ol' "AWW" moment. ^_^)**

**If I missed an favorite or a review, please, please, please let me know! My email and FanFic don't always get along...**

* * *

**I was telling a few people on dA how much fun it is to twist a prompt and make it fun when it's supposed to be depressing... Case in point. I needed some—how do I put this—more _passionate_ RiXi for a day. ^_^; For OHS readers, this would be directly after the whole overly-dramatic arc where Riku kisses Xion and yet won't do anything else about what he wants... Like, two seconds directly afterward. It is also technically related to the Xion vs. Ansem and Riku vs. Saix battles here in SAC. Enjoy!**

* * *

Apparently Riku underestimated how much Xion still wanted _this_; she's pulled him down, they're lying on his bed, and she's underneath him and tangling her fingers in his hair—and that really should hurt, but he's lost the capacity to feel anything but the warmth of her lips and hands on him.

"You're sure...? You don't have to do this, I'll be fine on my own, I've—"

"Shut up." Xion kisses his open mouth, gasping lightly. "We're all dying anyway, so we might as well be happy. And I'd rather be in danger if it meant I still had you."


	62. Psychotic

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing (Well, boo FanFic, then, LOL. (XDDD I'm sorry, I really tried not to laugh at Vexen's expense, but he _is_ socially awkward enough that he might not know... At any rate, he wouldn't think it important in the slightest. (Yup. Still an ass. Although we can laugh at him... LOL.) :D I hoped it was something you'd find cute. ROFL! Yes, yes it is all Riku's fault... but Xion's good at changing his mind about lots of things. And technically vice versa. I hope you somewhat enjoy today's drabble!),**

**RoseOfADifferentColor for reviewing (:D LOL, apparently he went a little overboard... Not really surprising considering him is it? ROFL, if anyone can, it's Riku. (Or maybe Lea.) Thanks!), and**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 for reviewing! (60. — LOL, I was wondering if anyone would comment on that. I've never seen anyone twist that around into rainbows, so I thought it would be fun. Glad you enjoyed! 61.— LOL, oh, she will. XD Yeah, Riku, quit ruining it... :D)**

* * *

**TNFF fans who might be reading this: this chapter is actually quite important to Haruki's future, so maybe keep it in mind... I'll recap it in the actual story when the time comes. ^_^ This drabble connects to OHS #33, "Animal," #68, "Fire," and #78, "Ashes," in which Vanitas attempts to sexually assault Xion. At this point, Vanitas has been captured, but they're still trying to decide what to do with him. :P**

* * *

"_No._"

"Hear me out."

"You're asking me to set him loose after—" Riku cuts himself off.

"I know, but Vanitas is the psychotic one, not me." Xion draws close to him, taking his hand in hers and pressing it against her chest. "You have to trust me. You do, don't you?"

"How can you ask that?" Riku pulls his hand free, wrapping his arms around her. "Of course I do. It's not you I'm worried about."

"Maleficent's already dead because of me. I'm not letting you ruin your life over him." Xion huddles close to him, reveling in his heartbeat.


	63. Fantasy

**Thanks to Knight-Dawn for reviewing (:D Yes, you should definitely be worried. Agreed, Xion's a little too nice for her own good—Riku, not so much so... There _is_ another reason, actually: if you read the BBS official novels, you find out that Vanitas was not actually born evil/crazy, but a combination of his hatred for the Unversed, the pain from killing the Unversed, being able to feel Ven's happiness when he himself was in misery, and general Xehanort neglect/sorta-abuse made him that way. I don't see Vanitas as being one of the major villains in KHIII (y'know, _the thirteen_...) because he's a little unpredictable and doesn't always follow orders, but I can see him being an accomplice. Given how Xemnas/Xehanort was using Xion, even to the extent of reprogramming her, Xion recognizes that Vanitas has a point and she very easily could have been just like him, not to mention that they're both technically extensions of Sora through a second person; Xion, therefore, lets him go on the condition that she never sees him again so he can escape from Xehanort. :D Hope ya like! (I wouldn't look _forward_ to the Vanitas arc intersecting with TNFF—it's a bit of a downer whenever it shows up, LOL.),**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 for reviewing (Poor thing indeed... :( Haruki meets Vanitas _twice_. (Dun, dun, dun! XD)), and**

**RAINRAIN9 for the favorite story! :D**

* * *

**Sorry for the super-huge author's notes throughout everything, by the way - but I wouldn't post the long ones here if I didn't think you would find parts of them rather interesting...**

**LOL, there's a very fun longer version of this that I'll post at the end. Consider this the spiritual sequel to "Caught in the Act"... Enjoy!**

* * *

"I wish I could have seen you in the Grid. You'd have been so cute..."

"Fantasizing about me as a computer program?"

Xion glares at Riku over the top of her reading glasses. "Funny. No. If I had a fantasy, it would be of you as a vampire."

"I could work with that." Riku brushes her hair to one side, exposing her neck.

"What d'you think you're doing?"

Riku takes a deep breath to calm himself. "Just fulfilling a fantasy," he murmurs, pressing his lips to the corner of her jaw, leaving a trail as he works his way down.


	64. Rollin' Around

**Thanks to...**

**Knight Dawn for reviewing (No problem! I should have put that at the end of the last chapter just to clarify... ROFL, oh my gosh, that's so _cute_! Sadly, Vanitas isn't going to have a similar role to Repliku—it may not be his fault, but Vanitas is now and will always be a villain now... *Cry.* I dunno, my own best friend is threatening to abandon me over this plotline... XD Thanks again!),**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 for reviewing (ROFLMAO... Clever, clever...!), and**

**Destiny Crusader for the favorite author, favorite story, and the review! Sadly, even though we joked that my author's notes were longer than the drabbles, this response got to be too long to include in the chapter, LOL.**

* * *

**Companion to #4, "Let's Go!", in which Xion challenges Riku to a quick sparring match... :D Had this idea for a few months now. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Ha!"

Riku finally gets a grip on her wrists and pins them to the ground beneath them, grinning with a fierce glint in his eye. "I win," he pants.

Xion's stomach twists and flips like they're still scrambling for the upper hand. "Barely."

"Been sparring with Sora all morning—I have an excuse." Riku's grin is fading; suddenly Xion's hyper-aware of his weight on top of her and how _warm_ Riku really is... "Although we weren't rollin' around half the time." Xion laughs...

"Hey, man, you gonna let Xion up, or are you still enjoying having her underneath you?"

"_Lea_!"


	65. Teeth

**Thanks to...**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 for the favorite story and the review (LOL, no kidding. I think that must be his specialty...),**

**derpylikescake for the favorite story and favorite author (:D), and**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing! (:D Glad you liked him! Lea's just awesome that way... LOL, can't say I wouldn't, either. It really is a shame—yes, I did just say that about Vanitas... LOL, well, at least Riku was more proactive in warning Haruki about this than anyone was with Terra... XD (I can see that turning into a long conversation...) I guess so... Hope you like!)**

* * *

**Set sometime after KH3D—no spoilers!—when Riku starts remembering Xion (I'm assuming that he remembers gradually and not all at once and that he actually _remembers_). Remember in OHS that Ansem liked to use Xion to get at Riku? That carries over to every incarnation of Xehanort, apparently... ;) Enjoy.**

* * *

"I missed you," Xion whispers, pressing her lips to his neck.

Riku groans deep in his throat, arches his back under her. "I missed you, too, I'm sorry—"

Xion kisses him, effectively cutting off overused apologies. "I've been dreaming about you."

Riku doesn't say anything, doesn't want to stop her by admitting he didn't dream anything like this or that it was possible... She leans over him to nip at his earlobe—

Teeth are not supposed to be that sharp or pointed.

He pushes Xion off, narrowing his eyes—

Xion's own eyes glow golden.

* * *

Riku wakes with a start.


	66. Mudkipz

**Thanks to Knight-Dawn for reviewing! (XD Good, good... And to add to that creepiness, my mom helped with the basic idea of the prompt—she's the one who suggested that someone wasn't who the other thought and the only clue was pointed teeth... Of _course_ Xehanort would stop that low... He is the epitome of Darkness anymore, he would know exactly how to use a weakness to its fullest... Thanks!)**

* * *

**Oh my gosh, dumbest prompt ever. XD Okay, not dumbest, but I dreaded this prompt, and as a result, this is the farthest thing from my favorite drabble. However, stage one of Riku's revenge against Xion for screwing him over so much has been completed... ;) Enjoy!**

* * *

"Did you know Xion thinks my hair's like the moon?"

Roxas shakes his head with a grin while Lea hoots with laughter.

"I'm going to kill you if you don't stop." Flushing, Xion crosses her arms and glares at Riku—as always, though, that bright smile of hers breaks through.

"You brought it on yourself by leaving me in the rain. By the way, I'm assuming you haven't told them about your obsession with Mudkips?"

Lea falls out of his chair.

"If I kiss you and never steal your jacket again, will you quit? You're killing Lea."

"It's a deal."


	67. Scale

**SPOILERS. The following drabble contains hints at some major SPOILERS for _Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance_. Please, if you don't plan on spoiling this game for yourself, do NOT continue reading!**

* * *

**Thanks to Knight-Dawn for reviewing! (LOL, you could say it was a difficult prompt... XD Stage one, anyway—Sakura Scout had a joke about how she thinks Riku would get his revenge that I might yet write about and give her total credit for... LOL, yes, "Mudkipz" goes along with "Moon" and "In the Rain," and I realize I fail and didn't get that worked into the author's note. Glad to know it worked out, then! Heh, heh, yeah... My mom's a good idea generator, but she's also an avid horror movie and Stephen King fan, so the ideas I get from her are usually freaky. That's cool! She sounds like a fun person to know...)**

* * *

**So, while uploading OHS to deviantART the other day, I ran across my good ol' speculation drabble about the new symbol a blogger had reported seeing on a KH site. We now know that was actually the symbol of the Dream Eaters, making the drabble I wrote extremely AU... which is bad because it had two follow-up drabbles involving Xion trying to get away from Riku for his own safety. Luckily for us, though, there's a wonderful plot bunny in Sora's scenario in the World that Never Was to make up for that. ;)**

**Young Xehanort mentions that the new Organization was able to track Sora via the "mark of heresy," drawing the "****χ" symbol in the air. If Xehanort can track Sora (and consequently Terra, Aqua, and Ventus) by an X on his clothing, then who's to say that they can't track people by their names when they're used...? (Evil grin here, please...) I had been wondering about that even before Knight-Dawn showed me the TV-Tropes page for KH which has the same theory... Enjoy.**

* * *

Xion waits a solid five minutes after Riku's breathing slows and evens out before she slips a foot free from the covers.

The shaking is back; it'll be harder to get away, but she doesn't have a choice. Who knows how easy she is to track after the way Riku murmured her name like a prayer to _her_, like he'd die without her...

He'll be dying inside when he finds her side of the bed empty tomorrow, but hopefully he'll understand. Riku knows what it's like to keep the scale of needs and desires balanced...

Hopefully Riku will forgive her.


	68. Fruit

Riku's heart skips a beat when he finds himself alone in their room. "Sh-Xion?"

He's tossed the blankets and is halfway across the room when he hears the response. "In the kitchen. It's not my birthday."

"Thank Kingdom Hearts."

Xion's examining an apple with narrowed eyes when he emerges. "I'm not eating apples for a long time. Or any fruit, for that matter."

"Wrong fairytale. And not funny." He slips an arm between her and the chair and pulls her close.

"Let me have _some_ fun." She rests her head on his side. "Besides, I'll be alright. I have you."

* * *

**Considering the way I ended the last one, I thought I'd start this post with Riku's first line instead of my overly long author's note.**

**I couldn't help it, I saw fruit and had to write _the last_ "Sleeping Beauty Xion" drabble. I swear, though, I'm done with that plot-line now. ^_^**

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing (Agreed. I don't like this theory. (Although it's good that it was sad, LOL...) Come on, Xion, it's not worth it in the long run... Don't make me get that "awwwplz" icon from dA! LOL, then I'll have to make sure I get it done.), and**

**CalmAsWater for not only favoriting this drabble series, but being patient with me and forgiving me for not getting their name in yesterday's thank-yous! :D Thanks again, friend!**


	69. Warcraft

**Thanks to...**

**CalmAsWater for reviewing and following (:D Still liking everything so far?), and**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 for all the reviews! (65. _I know_, the idea that Xehanort would even think of doing that to Riku is so creepy that I had to put it in... Amen! It is a rather creepy name, TBH... 66. Heh, heh, killing 'em all with laughter instead of kindness... Not a bad way to go, really. ;) 67. Oh, he does. In fact, if we look back into OHS, he catches her, forgives her, and convinces her to stay in about five seconds... LOL. 68. LOL, alright, then, we have a new job for Riku—read bedtime stories to Xion so she'll keep them straight.)**

* * *

**I couldn't help it. Really, _really_, I couldn't.**

**Okay, seriously, these prompts are killing me. "Warcraft" is not an actual word; it only refers to the video game series _Warcraft_, which I know nothing about and, personally, don't _want_to know anything about. As a result, I had to play with the term a bit; I took "craft" to be the equivalent of "art"... I hope you enjoy all the same.**

**And so Riku successfully engages stage two of his revenge...**

* * *

Riku has made warfare an art form.

Half the time they're partnered up, Xion's trying not to pay attention to how graceful and easy Riku makes a battle look; he wins their personal war with ease upon retiring for the night, attacking promptly and without warning, stealing her breath with ease.

For example, Riku's got her right where he wants her—her arms are gripping the bedposts above her head while Riku grazes her sides with his hands, reaching up to take her hands—

_Click_.

"What the—?"

Riku chuckles at the silver handcuffs locked around her hands and the posts.


	70. Depressed

_**SPOILER ALERT.**_** The following drabble contains information that will ****_SPOIL_ KH3D. If you do not want to have this amazing game _SPOILED_, do NOT continue reading!**

* * *

**Thanks to...**

**CalmAsWater for reviewing (:D It's my favorite... but I'm guessing you noticed that by now, LOL. TerQua is absolutely adorable, too—and since Terra and Riku are very similar/connected, I'm trying to work in some hints at TerQua in the last thirty drabbles...),**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing (ROFL! Yeah, it wasn't originally supposed to be quite that bad, and then my brain had fun with the idea of a prisoner in the "warcraft" drabble, and then there was the revenge... XD LOL, well, thanks for the warning. I kinda figured they were going to be bad looking at what I've had so far... At least I've got my awesome theory for "Beauty and the Beast." It's all good. ^_^ _YES_. I hoped someone would think that way! LOL),**

**CarelessWhispers13 for the favorite, and**

**RoseOfADifferentColor for the review! (Sneaky, sneaky boy. Heh, heh. She's not getting out of this any time soon, if at all, LOL...)**

* * *

**Quick note for all of you: #77 was left blank accidentally, so if there's any idea you really, really, _really_ want to see, now's the time to let me know. ^_^**

**Set sometime after KH3D—_SPOILERS—_but before #65, "Teeth." Poor Riku's starting to remember...**

* * *

"Acting depressed again," Kairi chides softly. She reaches up and takes Riku's hand; he doesn't move, still watching the shimmering Lanes Between outside Yen Sid's tower. "Is it because Sora...?"

She can't say it.

"No." Riku's hand squeezes hers. "He's fine, I know it."

"Then what...?"

Riku turns to her then—his gaze is so piercing, haunted, _sad_ that Kairi almost cries just meeting it—_he's looking for something he thinks he'll never find—_

"Let's just say I've been having strange dreams again."

"Do you want to talk?"

"No."

Kairi doesn't say anything; she knows better when he's hurting this deeply.


	71. Famous

**Thanks to...**

**RoseOfADifferentColor for reviewing (LOL, she's probably wondering why she'd need to pick a lock when she's got a Keyblade—now she knows. XD Yeah, not much help this time around. :( He just won't be back soon enough... LOL.),**

**CalmAsWater for reviewing (DX No Xion. She's in this one, though. LOL, I know what you mean...), and**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing! ( :( I'm not even sure _Riku_ knows what's really wrong or what he's feeling just yet... But if you were going to let anyone in, Kairi would be the one to go to... Thank you! Glad to know it wasn't depressing in itself, LOL.).**

* * *

**Forgive me if I screw up any of the characters even in passing—I've never played _The World Ends with You_, so I have no idea how any of the characters really act—but wouldn't it be creepy if you had the weirdest dream and suddenly the two people you met in said dream showed up in your city? ;) Set before Riku and Xion start going out, or whatever you want to call it...**

* * *

"I thought you'd never been here before."

"I haven't," Riku replies, arms crossed and examining the bustling city around them.

"Then how're you so famous already?" Xion lifts an eyebrow at him when he glances at her.

Another idiot knocks into Riku and pushes him aside; it takes a lot more focus than he likes not to kill the stranger. "Oh, yeah, I'm really famous—_four_ people have talked to me."

"They were ecstatic to see you. _I_ didn't even get that happy to see you when I woke up."

"_Riku? _ Is that you, Mister Knight?"

"Complete with fangirls." Xion smirks.

* * *

**I think Xion's going to have a bit of fun with Shiki flirting with Riku for a while... Heh, heh.**


	72. Canine

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing (LOL, it's Shiki! You and me both—Riku's face is just priceless. It would be awesome to follow-up on TWEWY...! (XD) Cool! (Whew... Good to know. :D) LOL, humor is a nice change, eh? (Sadly, no, they can't all be sad or fluffy...)), and**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 for the reviews! (69. Naughty boy indeed... :D 70. LOL, yes, it is hard on the little emo boy... XD But we still love him. Plus it really does suck... 71. LOL, I'd say this one is a bit of both: 1., Xion is _right there_, and he doesn't know how she'll take to _sharing_, and 2., again with the _Mister Knight_ stuff, Shiki? XD)**

* * *

_**It's Pluto!**_** :D Who doesn't love Pluto? I'm a cat person, and even ****_I_ love Pluto... XD Probably inspired by my cat being _overly affectionate_ since summer vacation started—by which I mean kneading her paws on my stomach and rubbing her face on my cheek whenever I wake up. Sounds cute, right? _Wrong._**

* * *

"_Ah!_"

Xion can hear Riku laugh at her over Pluto's enthusiastic panting, barking, and _slobbering_; if she hadn't been too busy trying to keep the canine from drooling into her mouth, she'd likely be freezing him from head to toe...

"Alright, enough! Here, Pluto."

Pluto leaps off her, paws grinding into Xion's stomach before bounding toward Riku. Eyes narrowed, she pushes herself up gingerly...

...only to be met with Pluto nuzzling Riku's knee and Riku as relaxed as he's ever been.

If Pluto ever has puppies of his own, Xion's going to beg King Mickey to give one to Riku.


	73. Lightning

**Thanks to...**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 for reviewing (I want a Pluto puppy, too...! they'd be soo cuuute... LOL, oh, good, it's not just me. It's cute, but _really_ annoying. XD), and**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing! (LOL, it's not just me! Yay! Pluto puppies would be adorable... and if Riku doesn't get one, I'm writing to someone about the unfairness of it all. LOL, he;s an exception for me, too. (That's a genius idea—I might have to do that. ;) Oh, Riku...))**

* * *

**Lightning Farron needs to show up in KHIII. Like, seriously. (Okay, if she doesn't, I'll be okay because we have Cloud and Leon, but _still_...) And Hope had better show up, too. :D As a side note—as you'll see at the end of this drabble—I don't support Hope/Light in FFXIII 'cause Hope's barely a teenager... but who else thinks it's _awfully convenient_ that Hope ends up being the same age as Lightning in XIII-2? Just saying.**

* * *

"What're you thinking?"

"Can't you tell?" Xion smiles, tearing her eyes away from Hope an the soldier.

"Figured it would be polite to ask instead of assuming. Besides—" Riku rests a hand on her cheek, thumb brushing her cheekbone— "I can't always predict what you're going to think."

Xion's blushing... "Lightning reminds me of you." She steps forward, watching his reaction—not unlike Hope, funnily enough—as she embraces him. "She just needs the right person to open up."

"Like I need you?" His arms tighten around her.

She freezes—Riku panics—then presses herself into him. "Sort of."


	74. Welcome Home

**Thanks to...**

**CalmAsWater for reviewing (LOL, agreed! At least we have Cloud... _Clooouuud... _:D Ahem.), and**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing! (LOL, agreed. Couple comparisons are really cute and really fun... both to read and to write. XD Yup, Hope's the short guy with white hair... (and my favorite in FFXIII despite his weakness and whining tendencies, LOL). Again, I don't necessarily like them as a thing in the actual FFXIII, 'cause Lightning's more of a big sister than a romantic interest... but still. Yes, yes KH could. Glad you liked!)**

* * *

**Set after the end of KHIII... Not much to say. Enjoy!**

* * *

"So, now what are we supposed to do? I mean, we _saved the world._"

Riku still wants to know how Xion can tell exactly when he's woken up when he hasn't cracked an eye open... Not that he minds.

Xion's sitting up against his bedroom wall, hands tucked behind her head just like Sora, when he gives in and opens his eyes. Chuckling, he wraps an arm around her waist and pulls himself closer, pressing his lips to her jaw; she hums and drops a hand to tangle it in his hair. "The joys of living in paradise... Welcome home."


	75. Sword

**Thanks to Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing!**

**More 'Matus speculation time! Ever after Xion regains her Keyblade in _Days,_ Riku calls it "a sham," and we later discover that it's merely data created from Sora's memories of the Keyblade—much like Xion herself. If/when Xion returns, she would hopefully not be a Replica anymore...**

* * *

"Would you, um...?"

Riku turns his head back to Xion, one eyebrow raised. "Would I...?"

Xion flushes. Riku tries not to flush back. "Would you go with em to Radiant Garden? I'd ask Roxas or Axe—_Lea,_ but..."

"What's up?" He faces her completely then, his face falling.

"...I need a sword." Xion looks at her shoes."

"…But you have a Keyblade..."

"It's as fake as I used to be. I can't call it anymore."

She gasps suddenly at the sound of a Keyblade being summoned; Riku smiles, though, and holds the Way to Dawn out to her. "Take it. Please."


	76. Pokemon

**Thanks to DGMSilverAirHead03 for the reviews! (73. :D Glad you like! 74. It'll be nice when they finally get home... 75. I think she will, too; she's got the right personality and strength to summon her own. She's just got to!)**

* * *

**Okay, seriously, no more dumb prompts now, plz? XD I already had Mudkips!**

* * *

"Can I keep it?"

Riku chuckles, eying the little golden... mouse-thing cradled to Xion's chest. "Do you really think it'll hold up to inter-dimensional travel? You catch it with one of those red balls, you keep it."

"Ruin all of my fun, why don't you."

Riku flinches. Xion pretends not to notice.

"Right when I was considering getting you a puppy someday..." She tucks the glittering Pokémon under her chin, grinning at the cry of "Pika, Pika!" "No Pluto puppies for you."

"Hey, that's not fair." Riku crouches down, scratches Pikachu's head. "Especially when you probably have pet Dream Eaters."


	77. DollPuppet

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing (Yay! XD LOL, that's fine, just get in what you can. (Is it getting any better?) Glad to hear you liked them! It's PLUTO PUPPIES. That falls under cruel and unusual punishment there... (LOL, it's more coherent than you think. Yeah, I know what you mean... Hope you get feeling better soon!)), and**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 for reviewing! (LOL, personally, I think everyone should get a Pikachu or a Pluto puppy. Those Pokeballs are tough; you'd think it would hold up... Come on, Xion, keep it!)**

* * *

**This is another one of those things I'd _love_ to see in KHIII—Xion confronting either Xehanort or Even about her creation and how they manipulated her. (The other element in this drabble would be super-adorable, too, but... but I'll settle for just this.)**

* * *

Vexen's—_Even's—_eyes slide over Xion's frame, appraising her like he would a house. Riku's fist tightens.

"I designed you to be a reasonably intelligent individual, Xion." In front of him, Xion stiffens. "Surely you can deduce what has occurred—"

"She's not your doll anymore."

Xion turns back to Riku, eyes wide—Vexen _did_ strike a nerve, he can see it; anger pulses throughout him again. "And she's not a puppet you can manipulate—she's her own person, and you will respect her as such."

"Thank you, Riku," Xion murmurs.

Vexen smirks until the Way to Dawn is summoned.


	78. Beauty and the Beast

**Thanks to...**

**Destiny Crusader the reviews (8. LOL, I thought they were pretty cute together, anyway... Thanks! 9. Ah, poor Roxas... glad you liked them, though. Alright, I'll be waiting at the finish line. ^_^ 11. :D There's a few other chapters that go back to that, though they don't have Riku feeling guilty as a main point... I'm kind of a sucker for those moments, too, LOL. Okay, that's perfectly fine by me. Onward! 12. Heh, heh, thank you. I like twisting prompts like that... 13. Aha, caught it! ;) That line kills me every time... 14. Glad you like! You're fine, just as long as you're enjoying yourself. 15. Thanks! Poor, poor Nami... She really never had a chance until the end, it seems.), and**

**Knight Dawn for reviewing! (:D Oho, I'm just waiting to meet Vexen again... mostly 'cause I keep hoping this will happen. LOL, thanks. If I am good at last lines, it's all because of Sakura Scout. My God, she gets me every time... Heh, heh, well, Vexen is scared of Xehanort... I thought he might have seen a resemblance or been reminded of something very unpleasant there. That's great news! Hope it keeps going so well. Also, a European user on KH13 has already posted the scene on "Destiny Islands" with Riku... if you know what I mean. (It's not as awesome as the Japanese version of Riku's lines, but _still_...))**

* * *

**I have been waiting forever to write this one... :D Knight-Dawn, Sakura Scout, and maybe a few others know why...**

* * *

"I find it ironic that we met in the Beast's Castle."

Warmth from where Riku presses his lips to her hair cascades over Xion. "Oh?"

"The prince was transformed into a monster because of his arrogance, and the only way to reverse it was to find the Light in life—in his case, love. Then, the Beast let the girl he loved go so she could save her family, knowing it could cost him everything. Sound familiar?"

"I didn't save you from Xehanort's Heartless, though," she murmurs. "And you didn't care about me then."

"I cared more than you thought."

* * *

**Beast's Castle is not only the place where Riku and Xion meet, but it's also the place where they part ways, more than likely forever... I see a great parallel here.**


	79. Innocent

**Thanks to...**

**Knight Dawn for reviewing (:D Glad you like! (_No, not the awwwplz face again, NOOOooo..._ XD) LOL, I'm glad that last line worked, because I had to rewrite it about ten times to get it right... If you look toward the bottom of the main KH13 page, you'll see the announcement that KH3D came out in Europe; click on the link about watching the playthroughs and go to page 8 or so, and a whole bunch of English clips from the end of the game show up. ;) Enjoy!), and**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for the reviews! (77. No, no they are not, especially not by creepy mad scientist... Ick. LOL, yes, yes I did enjoy it. It would be great to see, but it's like you said... Well, we can always hope. LOL, Riku was also confused about Vexen/Even; since Vexen has come back as Even, his name is really Even, but Riku only knows him as Vexen, plus he's calling him heartless and cruel... LOL. 78. :D That works for me, LOL. Plus we could also make the argument that Xion influenced the way Sora did things if we really wanted to... XD No, not quite as much angst, thank goodness. LOL, why, I don't know where he would have gotten that...)**

* * *

**Lack of true RikuXi in this drabble, but hey... Set when Sora finds out about what really happened to the hearts inside of his—and no spoilers! Yay! Enjoy.**

* * *

"She didn't do anything _wrong_."

Sora hasn't been this upset in a long time; considering not all of this is his grief, he may never be again. Riku closes his eyes against the broken image of his friend, trying not to replace it with the girl in black and failing.

"Wh-why did she have to d—?"

"I don't know, Sora." Why someone innocent had to suffer while he got his entire life back, after everything he's done...

Riku hates himself as much or more than he ever did.

_And Xion never blamed him..._

"I just don't know."


	80. Transform

_**SPOILERS.**_** This drabble contains ****_SPOILERS_ for the end of KKH3D, and trust me, the mention they get in passing is _huge_. Please, if you do not plan on spoiling this game, _do NOT_ continue reading. Thanks!**

* * *

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing (It's funny, 'cause I didn't particularly like that drabble, so I didn't think it would get to anyone... Huh. LOL, I forgot about that conversation—agreed, poor Sora indeed. (It probably is. However, the guilt trip may not last as long now that we know he can actually do something about it...) Great! That "recovering something he'd lost" made me squeal for a second; yeah, sure, he's referring to Sora, but look who he's telling that to... I mean, really, LOL. You're welcome!), and**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing! (LOL, sorry? Yeah, sad Sora = broken heart... And then we get Xion. :P No, Xion wouldn't like either of them being this horribly sad or hating themselves over what she had to do... Please, guys? Really, you're making _us_ cry now. :P LOL, well, thanks! :D)**

* * *

**In case you didn't see the warning above, this drabble contains spoilers for KH3D—it's a tiny reference to the spoiler, but it's a huge, important one, and without knowing it, this drabble may not make a ton of sense... Still.**

**Connects to #13, "Reflection," in which Xion finally finds her fellow Replica, and is set sometime in KHIII, before Riku and Xion are anything more than friends—even before the "best friend" stage.**

* * *

Riku's throat closes around what he wants to say at the sight of Xion, eyes closed tightly and hand covering her mouth.

"There's not much of a life for Replica. Not really... But how bad is it really if he chose to join _them_?"

Seeing Xion in pain is nothing new, but for the first time, he wants to take her pain _himself_.

It takes his Replica's transformation into the thirteenth for Riku to see the transformation in their relationship.

His hand takes hers, lightly squeezing it. "Better than you think. I promise."

Xion squeezes his hand back tightly.


	81. Perspective

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing (It truly would be; I have to wonder with that mysterious appearance the version of Riku in the black coat makes in Monstro—in game (SPOILERS for the others reading this), Riku says it was just a memory of his Darkness, but considering how the other villains pop up, I could see it really being the Replica... And if he dies twice, I'll lose it. -_- That's true, at least Xion has Riku to help. LOL, no, I really didn't like the other, but it's still cool. I like it a bit more in retrospect. Hope you enoy!), and**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing! (ROFL, body-surfer... I say it again, you crack me up every time... Nah, you're right, Riku's grown out of that mindset. LOL, yes, Xion is referring to looking for love and friendship on top of the generally short lifespan, but don't forget the Replicas looking for a personality of their own that isn't just someone else's. Xion was luckier in that respect, since she's technically made of Sora and Kairi, but the Riku Replica has gotten screwed over again. (I don't actually have the game; I don't even have a 3DS and doubt that I'll buy one, but I cheat and looked the European cutscenes up early. :D)**

* * *

**Even more looks into my support for RiXi—it's a bit of a stretch, but without Riku, Xion wouldn't have been able to save Roxas as she had...**

* * *

He changed you. He has made you into who you are more than Roxas has.

Had it not been for him, you likely never would have seen what it meant to give yourself for a greater cause, have had the bravery to defy your superiors.

That new perspective has carried over into this new life of yours—and it has given you new worth. One only needs to look at Riku, the boy who shaped you, and note the way his Light surges at your presence to prove it.

And that is why you are still vital, my dear Xion...

* * *

**Heh, heh, heh, and you thought this whole drabble was only in second-person, didn't you? ;) Oh, Xehanort, why, oh, why do you always make innocent drabbles so creepy by the end...? I blame Knight-Dawn for this particular creepiness after her chapter of "Two Hearts" entitled "Possession..." ;)**


	82. Dash

**Thanks to...**

**Knight Dawn for reviewing (Muahahaha... Oh, goody, I'm glad to hear that came through. (Yet another benefit of being a _Fringe_ follower: Leonard Nimoy not only portrays the antagonist of KH but also the enigmatic William Bell in _Fringe_, who ends up trying to destroy the universe(s) in order to create a new one as he pleases and be the God of that world... Sound familiar? I tend to borrow William Bell's traits for Master Xehanort as a result, and "my dear Xion/Olivia" is definitely a Bell-ism.) I was halfway through writing the last drabble when that idea hit, so I figured that whole drabble would do the same for the readers... Yup! But the cycle will only continue if you keep it up—_it's all up to you _now... EXACTLY. They'd better not. It's only okay when I do it because my word is not canon, LOL. :D Thanks! Glad ya liked it so well...),**

**RisuMisu for the favorite story (8D), and**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing! (Yes. Yes, he did... *Crying...* LOL, yup, I'm a cheater. _And none of what I've seen makes sense yet..._ I've gotten my just reward. -_- ROFLMAO—but it's the only way Xehanort knows how to be! XD Yes, that sounded way wrong, but it was way awesome. Well, lessee, according to this drabble series, he's definitely using her against Riku somehow; we know he's using her as a tracking device, what with her name having an "X"; and Xion knows exactly what he's doing to her, which is driving her crazy... Personally, my guess is he's doing the same as always and trying to turn someone to darkness—maybe even in the hopes that it will bring out someone's true Light and help finish his plans. LOL, originally the drabble was going to be cute, hence the pretty description... but it ended up creepy. Glad you liked it, though!)**

* * *

**Happy drabble time! This one has been done for a _really_ long time—I had the idea for it at the beginning of the challenge, but none of the prompts fit it, so I went searching for the prompt that did...**

**Ah, friendly competition between friends... XD Enjoy!**

* * *

Riku blinks a few times just to be sure he's seeing this right. "Uh, guys? What're you...?"

"Shh." Sora waves a hand in Riku's general direction, never tearing his concentrated glare away from Xion.

Xion doesn't bat an eyelash. "We're having a staring contest to see who spends the day with you."

"Ah." Riku backs away, slowly...

"Tell ya what, Xion," Sora says, lifting an eyebrow. "Whoever gets to Riku first gets him."

Xion doesn't even wait for a count to begin the mad dash.

"You cheater!"

"_Holy—_!" Riku dodges two flying bodies and makes a run for it himself.


	83. Fluffy

**Thanks to...**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing (ROFl, yeah, no kidding—what do you really expect, Riku? I'd say set someone up to tag you painlessly... but that would mean missing the epic flying tackle, LOL. I hope my head-canon is dead wrong in this case, too—_everyone's_ been hit with the bad-things hammer, LOL. But cute and good beats the bad every time! Muahaha. Hope you like this happiness, too...), and**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing! (:D (ROFL, oh, yes, Sora and his glomping tendencies... And on top of that, he tends to be on the _receiving _end of the glomp just as often, LOL.) Haha, it's a very useful bonus. What is it with evil people being all buddy-buddy and using "my dear"...? It's not going to make me like you any more than I do! LOL, you don't _have_ to do it... (but it'd be awesome if you did work it into the full-length story... 8D). Hope you enjoy!)**

* * *

**Yay, no creepy stalker!Xehanort for once... XD Enjoy the cuddling.**

* * *

Xion peeks at Riku from over the pillow trapped in her arms when he returns from triple-locking the door—locked, bolted, and Keyblade-locked, which should be more than enough to get their privacy. "They're so _fluffy_," she whispers, grinning as he laughs and climb onto their bed. "But don't worry, you're still my favorite pillow."

He doesn't say anything as she bullies her way between his arm and chest, fingers running through her hair while she fidgets, simply gazing down at her with all the reverence and tenderness in the world... "Say something."

"I love you" is all he says.


	84. Skeleton

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing (LOL, I don't mind. ^_^ Glad you liked it! Haha, they're sitting there, all cute and romantic, and suddenly... "Achoo!" ROFLMAO... Haha! (_YES._ Ahem. Wow, bad things just happen left and right in that arc... _but there's a ton of RiShi...!_ 8D)), and**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing! (ROFLMAO... It all starts with the cuddling. ;) True, the bolt's the only thing really stopping them, but it's more the symbolism, I guess—"Okay, he Keyblade-locked the door; we really, really, _really_ shouldn't bother him under pain of death... (But we probably will...)" ^_^ Glad you liked! I was a tad worried about the ending...)**

* * *

**I'm so sorry for the super-late update! Credit for the idea goes to Miss Goldeneyes713, who reminded me that we have Halloween Town for skeletons and creepy things... Also inspired by the way Riku apparently turns into a zombie in the Re:CoM version of Halloween Town—which makes sense for the state of mind he's in, really, but still, the character with one of the biggest fanbases turns into a _zombie?_ LOL. Also, Xion's plans seem to work about as well as Riku's, which is not very well here. ^_^ Set during _Days_. Enjoy!**

* * *

The idea to hide in Halloween Town had been a good one up until the change.

Riku hadn't even looked that irritated the night he fought her all those weeks ago... Xion chooses to stay quiet and hides in his shadow while he adjusts.

Her plan, however, fails when a chunk of skin falls away.

"Um, Riku...? I can see your jawbone."

Riku turns his glare on her; Xion meets it evenly until she starts giggling.

"If I wasn't worried that all my skin would fall off and you'd see my entire skeleton, I'd be getting even."

(But he's smiling.)


	85. Music

**Companion and direct sequel to #48, "Harmony," in which Riku, Xion, and the gang wind up in Atlantica again. Enjoy!**

* * *

"You're not that bad at music."

Riku's leaning against a wall when Xion turns—at least, as close to leaning as a merman can get. "Thanks...? You, too."

Riku chuckles, fixing her with a stare that she _does not_ (does?) like, given her "attire." "You could probably be up front."

Does she detect a blush...? "Ha. You'd see what really scares me then—wait, that's why you want me up there, isn't it? To freak me out?"

"Wha—? No, that's not—!"

"Whoa, relax!" Riku's wide-eyed panic abates a bit at her laughter. "I guess I need to joke more often..."


	86. Angel

**Thanks to...**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing (84. ROFL, yeah, I guess she is now, in a sense... I dunno, I want to see how she'll be redesigned very, very, _very_ badly—and I also suspect she gets turned into a vampire like Sora in Halloween Town, which would only help her cause, LOL. (Tell your friend he/she is awesome and that they were thinking the same thing I thought when I wrote it... XD) Ha, ha, yeah, secret cameras can still get in; I'm with you in doubting that they'll get used, though; no one _wants _to know what's going on in there, XD. ^_^ 85. LOL, true, as smooth as any male character can really be around girls... Although I have faith in Axel being able to smooth talk a girl when needed, LOL. Xion's just afraid of singing/dancing in front of a lot of people. Yeah, witty quips aren't going to hurt you, Riku...),**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 for the reviews (77. Haha, yeah, be very afraid, Vexen... ;) 78. Yeah, but the truth of the matter is, for a while, _they're_ a sad pairing... Thanks! ^/^ 79. My God, that would be the worst feeling in the world... Especially knowing that one of them was not immediately okay with how things went down. -_- 80. LOL, well, I guess that's awesome, sort of... All will come clear eventually! 81. He is. It's nasty. And creepy. Obviously. 82. ROFL, it'd be the best one to get into! Getting Riku for the day... Drooling... 83. Good boy, Riku, good boy... 84. LOL, it's worth it. The system's tricky to get at first, but it's still fun. 85. LOL, Riku's just scared of girls anymore, I think...), and**

**Kuroiikawa for the favorite story! (Hope you keep enjoying!)**

* * *

**Sorry for another late update! It's fun being a pizza girl, but it takes over your whole day... In my headcanon, this is connected to OHS #31, "Black," in which Riku manages to nearly get himself killed and has a quick vision of Terra and the Replicas... It's also immediately before any drabble connected to Xion's return/awakening. Enjoy! Happy KH3D release day!**

* * *

Riku's eyes fall closed under the wisps of fingers brushing his cheek, focusing on the sound of his breathing. He's trembling, but he doubts the owner of the fingers tracing his features notices.

"This is _real_."

He opens his eyes then, meeting _hers_ as wide and blue as the sky; his own widen, his breath hitching.

"You're not a dream this time?"

He shakes his head. "I came back for you—I owe you that much. You've been my guardian angel long enough, Xion."

He's been waiting so long to see her smile that its brilliance nearly knocks him down.


	87. Dance

**Yay, awkward/adorable!Riku time... Set sometime before Riku and Xion start dating. Enjoy!**

* * *

Whether her head is reeling because she can't believe this is really happening, Riku's placed his hands on her waist, or both, Xion doesn't know—but it's not getting better.

Riku shifts closer, forcing her to bend her elbows. "I'm not, um, good at this," he murmurs; Xion's heartbeat goes into double-time as his arms lock more securely around her. "It's been a while since I danced."

"L-like I'll know the difference." Xion pulls him closer, her arms dangling over his shoulders. "I've never danced at all."

"...Today's your lucky day, then."

Everything _stops_ when her smiles down at her.


	88. Porcupine

**Thanks to Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing! (^_^ LOL, it was actually fun to have Xion be wondering if Riku was real... I'm glad I'm not the only one who liked that. (Haha, yeah, don't screw this up now that you've finally got it back, dork...) :) Xion as a guardian angel would be so cute... MM, true, no more Sora-complex, plz&thnks. (Haha, that's alright, there are worse things to not get... ROFL!) LMAO, oh yeah, major blackmail uses there—or to rile Roxas up, haha. Oooh, blackmail of Xion singing, heh, heh... Yeah, Axel's probably had an ungodly amount of practice, as "friendly" as he is...)**

* * *

**A _Days_ drabble again! Yay! Sometime very, very early in the period where Riku and Xion are on the run together.**

* * *

Xion has never seen a porcupine before, but she knows they've got quills and are really spiky and short, which probably means cute—and how she knows all of this, she doesn't want to know.

In a way, Riku reminds her of a porcupine; she knows him and yet doesn't, which she would like to remedy someday but won't have the time, and when threatened or irritated, he never fails to injure—she would know.

Not to mention he's pretty. Pretty enough (handsome? beautiful? cute?) that her whole body bursts into sweat and fire, and her cheeks get bright pink...


	89. Venom

**Thanks to MidnightxRose for reviewing every chapter so far (O.O) and for the favorite story! Hope you keep enjoying!**

* * *

**Realm1993 on dA liked #43, "Tree," so much that when I mentioned the possibility of writing a follow-up, she immediately implored me to _do it_. It may have taken me a while, but I finally got it in there, Realm! Enjoy!**

* * *

"There was one last thing I wanted to ask you."

Grandmother Willow gets that benevolent smirk again.

"Why would Xion talk to you about me as much as she did?"

The smirk leaves the spirit's face, but not the kindness. "Doubt is like a venom, young man. We only feel it because we think someone else is able to doubt us, and it slowly destroys us from the inside out."

"...Which means...?"

"Why do you _think_ a young girl would prattle on about you?"

Riku pales at that; Grandmother Willow's smirk returns.

"Listen with your heart—you will understand."


	90. Climb

**Thanks to...**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing (LOL, exactly. And now Riku knows... Oh noes. It cannot end well. (It can and it does...) Grandmother Willow is just awesome like that. ^_^),**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 for the reviews (86. ^_^ Glad to hear it. (Me, too. I want that to happen...) 87. _Oh mah gosh that was adorable..._ XD Amen to that! 88. LOL! There ya go, indisputable truth, they're supposed to be together... (At least in my headcanon.) 89. LOL, me, too. She's just awesome like that. (And on top of that, _she's a talking tree_.)), and**

**MidnightxRose for reviewing! (8D Sorry I haven't finished responding yet! Friend kidnapping was at play yesterday... Yes, yes Riku should take it into consideration. And while he's at it, he needs to do something with the info that Xion _really_ likes him, LOL.)**

* * *

**I have been meaning to write this for a looong time now. Set in the hallway outside the Mysterious Tower's infirmary after #39, "Torture," and OHS #s 11, 24, and 52, "Blood," "Silence," and "On Top of the World," respectively. Terra and Riku interaction! _Yay!_ There was supposed to be some TerQua in here, however... -_-**

* * *

"The hell're you doing here?"

Terra flinches at the same time that Riku does, the younger shaking himself awake. "Must've fallen asleep waiting," Riku mutters, running a hand over his face.

"You're not going to find anything out if you wait out here." Terra sinks to the floor beside Riku, glancing up at the door to the infirmary. "Roxas'll be out cold, you know."

"And?"

"_Riku_." Terra raises his eyebrows at his progeny. "The girl you love nearly died. No one's going to stop you if you sneak in there and climb into that bed beside her. Not even Roxas."


	91. Above the Clouds

**Thanks to...**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 for reviewing (Haha, somehow Terra being a voice of reason seems veeery strange, doesn't it...? At least he's getting Riku to do something right, LOL.),**

**MidnightxRose for reviewing (Haha, best day ever for ya! And we get Terra! YAY! XD LOL, he's doing a bit better for Riku than he does for himself sometimes... Go, Riku, go, go, go...! Here's more!),**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing,**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing (XDDD So I wasn't the only one who thought that after I posted it! Never, ever tell an eighteen-year-old to hop in a girl's bed, seriously. ROFLMAO... However, neither Terra nor Riku is even thinking about that since Xion just about died, LOL. True, it's a lot better to be in there with her than sleeping outside the room... Poor guy.), and**

**Blaze1662001 for reviewing and favoriting! (Yes, I already replied to this once, but still... Thanks again! I hope you keep enjoying the last handful of drabbles.)**

* * *

**Oh my gosh, last ten drabbles... O.O Bleh... I like this, and yet it's so sappy I just might die. XDDD Companion and direct sequel to OHS #89, "Sapphire," and related to the longer oneshot "Impermanence." Enjoy!**

* * *

"I love you."

Xion stops breathing.

Riku's hand is still in her hair, straightening the knots he made himself, but her heartbeat doesn't slow like it normally does.

She didn't think—she thought they just weren't going to talk about this, not for a while—besides, did it even need said? It's obvious what this is—for goodness' sake, he broke Maleficent's curse...

...And if it's so obvious, why doesn't she just say it back?

"I love you, too."

The high she gets from Riku kissing her then, so light and gentle that it hurts, takes her above the clouds.


	92. Rockin' Out

**Thanks to...**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing (ROFL, hint taken. (Also, potential sugar warning and humor warning. ^_^) LOL, finally they got around to it... It's just easier to say it and know for absolute sure—not that there's really any doubt to speak of, but it just clears the air. (Thanks. :) Glad you liked.) I don't know how it got to be this late already—like, seriously, it has not felt that long _at all._ True, we have a few left together... LOL, so, that line is like most other lines in KH that are not good to say around teenagers because they can and do take them inappropriately? True, it gets better for all parties, doesn't it...?),**

**Blaze1662001 for reviewing (Thanks! I'm glad you liked. I know, I'm going to cry when I finish posting these... DX What am I going to do with myself afterward?! LOL.), and**

**RoseOfADifferentColor for reviewing! (:) Glad you liked. D'aww, thanks... _The last ten... _ Haha, don't worry about it, you've been busy. Besides, how many of your fics have I not even started reviewing? :P Thanks! I hope you enjoy what I have ready...)**

* * *

**Forgive the general stupidity of this drabble because my mind could not comprehend how annoying this prompt was. (For me, anyway.) "Rocking out" doesn't work in Kingdom Hearts, much less with Riku and/or Xion... -_- Also, this has a quick reference to #63, "Fantasy," if you're interested. Enjoy!**

* * *

"I thought we were done discussing this."

Xion shivers at Riku's low voice; he smirks, and Xion really misses his long hair because then he wouldn't know he's winning. "Yeah, but you've already made your point that you're nothing like Xehanort. You'll look better if you grow your hair out—not that you're not beautiful now."

"I know I am." He also knows just how beautiful _she_ thinks he is.

"And think of how fun it'd be—you could be rockin' out instead of being a wallflower like me."

"Another fantasy of yours?"

"Not this time." Xion rubs her neck...


	93. Poke

**Thanks to...**

**RoseOfADifferentColor for reviewing (LOL, well, thanks. ^_^ Haha, liking your description there... Yeah, I kinda miss them, too, but I don't hate his new haircut, either—when he's "younger," I adore it, but I'm still adjusting to it being short normally, LOL. Given that last drabble, Xion would most definitely be agreeing with you... Well, if yours doesn't, then neither does mine. So there. XDDD So in short, yes it does. No problem! Hope ya like!), and**

**MidnightxRose for reviewing! (LOL, that's fine. I'm unpredictable like that, so I'd say _I_ missed _you_ instead of the other way around. 91. XDDD True, very true, but particularly Xion. 92. Glad you liked! Haha, it's all good until he starts using his good looks to his advantage. Which he most definitely does with Xion. Hope you like this! _Don't remind me of that!_ I don't _want_ to be done...! LOL.)**

* * *

**It's kind of a weird one, but I rather like this drabble... Poor Riku shoots himself down yet again without getting all the information. Set sometime after Sora and co. wake the seven but before Riku and Xion ever start thinking about dating—or maybe this is the beginning of that... Enjoy!**

* * *

He reaches out a hand, fingers trembling as they brush Xion's skin before pushing her bangs over her ear. Riku stops as Xion stirs in her sleep, but she merely turns into his hand.

Anticipation surges through Riku, quick and warm and quivering, but he forces himself to pull away and pokes Xion in the arm. "Get up, lazy bum," he murmurs; Xion shifts again, smiling this time. Regretfully he pokes her again despite himself.

"Roxas, if you poke me again, I'll kill you..."

He is neither warm nor cold, simply numb, when she opens her eyes, shattering his illusion.


	94. Adorable

**Thanks to Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing! (LOL, no kidding. The only person who can truly cure self-confidence issues is the person him/herself... Which means no more doubting yourself, Mr. Riku. XD Although, given the circumstances, I can't blame him. Poor Xion was probably thinking, "I bet it's Roxas poking me—Riku wouldn't ever bother waking me up himself, he'd have Roxas do it, but I wish _he _would," and the one time he does, she screws it up. -_- Not happy for either of them...)**

* * *

**That would explain why I have no reviews for this chapter... I swear on Roxas that I tried uploading this chapter yesterday - I think FanFic ate teh attempt and pretended it never happened. -_- Sorry for the delay, everyone! I hope you still enjoy. Thank yous are on both chapters now.**

**This may seem similar, but it is not related to #93—it's actually connected to #09, "Cuddle," but I've had the idea since I finished OHS... Enjoy!**

* * *

"They're so adorable," Kairi whispers as he walks away. Riku ignores her, hoisting Xion closer—so he can safely carry her, of course.

Xion stirs in his arms, but she doesn't waken until he's delivered her to her tent and tucked the blankets around her haphazardly. "Ri...ku?"

"Shh." He takes a chance, tucks her bangs behind her ear, like before. "You fell asleep by the campfire—on me, I might add. I brought you back, though."

"Must've been embarrassing." Xion's smile turns dopey in her drowsiness. "Thanks."

"It's nothing." Before he does anything he'll regret, Riku leaves without another word.


	95. Yard Sale

**Thanks to Xero for the review and suggestion! Ironically enough, one of the last prompts is "Ouch!", so I should definitely find a way to use your idea. Thanks again, friend!**

* * *

**Lookit, it's baby Haruki! :D I missed him, so, so much... For those of you who haven't read TNFF—Riku and Xion were planning on giving Haruki up for adoption to protect him but changed their minds when he's actually born, leading to _this_ chaos... Enjoy!**

* * *

"We really should have thought about this more."

"No kidding." Xion shifts Haruki higher on her waist, dodging sticky hands aiming for her hair. "At least your mom still had some of your baby clothes we can use since we _ran out of money to buy some for our son...!_"

Riku chuckles, lifting a pile of faded pink toddler dresses. "But you love his nursery."

"...So?" Xion's smiling when Riku straightens with a tiny shirt in hand. "We still got a bad start on this parenting thing if we have to buy clothes at a yard sale _after_ he's born."


	96. Hello?

**Thanks to...**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing,**

**MidnightxRose for reviewing (93. :D LOL, s'all good. I overreact a lot, LOL. Riku isn't always good with self-control, is he...? Poor guy. 94. Glad you liked that line! LOL, of course he's going to tease and ake fun of her when he's hiding... XD Sleepy!Xion would be adorable now... 95. It's the baby! ^_^ Poor Xion's getting freaked out and it's only the first week... True, though, they'll get it figured out where it counts.),**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing (:D You and me both. Hear that, Riku? Sound advice right there... (LOL, true, don't want to drop her and blow everything...) Or does she fall at the most opportune moments for her...? Heh, heh, heh... True, he's got the best self-control of any character in KH at the moment; if anyone could get away with just a peck on the cheek, it'd be him. (Haha, yes, that's all he had in mind...) ROFL, I noticed he still tends to do that... And then the other half he's just badass and funny. How strange. Haha, I wanna see Roxas if she gets them confused... He'd just growl all day and rip everyone's heads off.), and**

**EmmyMetal for reviewing! (Good timing, friend. XD Yeah, but then they changed their minds. That sounds like a plan; Yoshi's actually his friend since kindergarten, but since our stories are different—think alternate universes—you could definitely bring Yoshi in later... In fact, there will be another girl Haruki meets in TNFF when he's older, so if that would help, let me know. Sounds like a plan! Haha, s'all good. Have a wonderful day yourself!)**

* * *

**Ay, the other version was almost twice as long... Guess you'll get another outtake. ^_^ Somehow or another I got inspired by "For the First Time" by the Script while writing this... Set sometime after Riku and Xion become a couple and references the stupid, overly dramatic "Kiss" arc of OHS with a few additions in this series. (OHS prompts #s 60, 63, 67, SAC prompts #61 for sure and technically #s 06 and 12. Also, poke around my other RiXi drabbles.) Enjoy!**

* * *

"First kiss?"

"I _think_ it was Selphie."

"You _think_?" Xion's insides melt at the grin on his face.

Riku chuckles. "You?"

"Hello? Former Replica here. Little preoccupied to be kissing."

"You and Roxas never...?"

"_Ew_. Actually, you were my first kiss."

"And I screwed it up? I really do ruin everything..."

"Riku—"

"Make you a deal," he says, his body only inches from hers. "We'll say this was our first kiss and forget about the other."

And then, lighter than a butterfly's wing grazing her skin, gentler than if she were made of glass, he presses his lips to hers.


	97. UpsideDown

**Thanks to...**

**LoveBri for the reviews, favorite story and story alert, _and_ the favorite author. O.O (95. LOL, wow, that's... a lot of reading. I'm sorry. XD I'm glad o hear you enjoyed it so much, though! Haha, it's all good—it's not an obvious pairing and there's not a lot of support for it in the first place, so I understand why you may not have liked it all that much—but I'm glad to hear this may have helped change your mind a little! ^_^ 96. :D Glad you approve. I'm glad to hear it! I hope you like this next drabble, too...),**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing (XD He seems like the type that he might have been for a while when he was younger before he started maturing... ^_^ I wasn't sure how well that would work, but I'm glad it did. Whew! LOL, y'know, it's not a bad thing to not have much to say... (Says the person who talks every bit as much. :P) Agreed; the English version in particular makes it clear that Xion feels the same about Roxas and Axel and that, while she loves them very much, she doesn't quite love them that way... I don't know; thank you, I'm glad to hear it, but I just don't know. -_- I will say it has nothing to do with my ex-boyfriend, though. XD Hope you enjoy!),**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing (XD So it wasn't just me that got that vibe. Haha, if anything, I'd bet he was practicing with Selphie so he could kiss Kairi the right way, LOL. Oh, dear, jealous Sora scares me... Her side was fun to write, too! :D First kiss was the OHS bit where he kisses her, says sorry, walks away, and _then_ explains he thinks it's too dangerous to be involved with Xehanort running around... Crappy first kiss with all that baggage. True, though, without that kiss there wouldn't be the adorableness we have today. ^_^ Glad you liked! Haha, yeah, Riku has enough problems with Ansem; I'll try to miss when I'm throwing Ansem-kittens around... ROFL. ;) I know! Riku's worse in 3D than he is in KHII... Amen to that! I think Roxas would do the growling; Riku would just sulk and be depressed all day. It'd be awesome. ^_^), and**

**EmmyMetal for reviewing! (Yay! Well, if you're a dork, I don't know what level of weird/lame I'd be... XD S'all good. That sounds like a plan to me! Can't wait to read what you've got planned...)**

* * *

_**Days**_** drabble! Set in the days after Xion returns from her escape with Riku... It's pretty self-explanatory, really. -_- Riku really did put Xion in a difficult position... Enjoy!**

* * *

He's flipped everything upside-down.

Xion isn't traveling with Riku anymore—for all intents and purposes, she's cut off their alliance and run back to what she knows like everything was the way it used to be. If they're not partners, they're enemies again, and she should reveal everything to her comrades...

At the very least, she should be able to tell _Roxas_ why she's staring out the windows every chance she gets, waiting for a sign.

But Riku trusted her enough to tell her the truth, knowing it could cost him everything, and she can't fail him like that now.


	98. Ouch!

**Thanks to...**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing (Oh, mna, Roxas wouldn't take it well at all—to him, it'll always just be him, Axel, and Xion and no one can come between them... Ohoho, beautiful irony there... I like it. ^_^ (Not just yet, but very soon I think she will... ;)) Oh, God, Riku's a goner. o.o They're gonna murder him for good... Yeah, the context there is very, very important, but he fixes it up pretty nicely. (ROFL—and watch him angst/spazz out and die? XD) Oh, jeeze, yes, don't forget KHI Riku... Man, was he annoying then... Now he's just cute for angsting. XD Haha, Xion and Sora would follow them around all day and poke at them until they finally exploded... LMAO!), and**

**MegaWallflower for reviewing and who I will have to respond to later because I'm running out of time myself and have too many reviews from you to post here. ;) Talk to you soon!**

* * *

**For Xero, who requested a Riku/Roxas fight after Roxas finds Riku and Xion kissing... See, in my headcanon, neither Riku nor Xion quite get around to telling everyone that they're together—Lea figures it out first, and so just when they're getting ready to come out with it... This happens.**

* * *

Roxas's blood freezes in his veins.

Xion's hand slips down from Riku's jaw to his chest, her eyes fluttering closed as Riku's hand tilts her head up, and he leans down and presses his lips to hers.

And she doesn't push him away...

...leaving Roxas to push him for her.

"Ouch—!"

"So you think after everything you've done to her, you can just touch her and—"

It's so stupid and childish and _Roxas can't say it_, can't admit that Riku has taken everything, can only force him against the wall and glare at him with hands curled into fists.


	99. Elegant

**Thanks to...**

**MegaWallflower for another review after the last chapter I posted and to whom I'm still going to respond, don't worry, and**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing! (Roxas has gotten pwned so hard emotionally that it hurts _me_. Which means Riku is going to have to physically hurt just as bad, according to Roxas... Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. Oh, no, they did the spot check, they just didn't count on anyone looking for them for a while... Poor, poor Roxas... ...I did? XDD Thanks! Haha, don't worry, you have my admiration for sticking through all of htese for so long... Oho, uber-revenge! Let's chuck one at him! HYAAAH! XDD True, he wouldn't take it out on them for very long once he caught himself...)**

**EDIT: ...Damn it. Forgive my rush. Also, thanks to LoveBri for reviewing! (LOL, don't worry, I know what you mean... I actually kind of like how Roxas and Xion interact with each other; they're so sweet and adorable... Haha, if anything, you should be shipping RikuShi in secret... Glad you liked. ^_^)**

* * *

**_...It's so sappy...! _XD AlianaFireheart on dA asked about a wedding drabble in passing once, which I took to be an almost-request, so here it is! Set not very long after Master Xehanort is destroyed once and for all... Enjoy.**

* * *

Riku knows he won't regret this when it's over...

...but for now, with Sora and Roxas snickering at him as he fidgets with his sleeves, this can't end soon enough.

He still doesn't see the reason behind all the ceremony and tradition; he's never needed it, and he knows his girlfriend/soul mate/whatever he's supposed to call her doesn't need it. They could have gotten by with a five-minute, impromptu wedding.

But then he sees her, his vision of white at the back of the chapel, more poised and elegant than he dreamed possible, and it's all worth it.


	100. Our Time is Now

**Thanks to...**

**LoveBri for reviewing (LOL, I saw your review just as I posted the new chapter—I could have caught it in time, and if you go back to the last chapter, I went ahead and put your thank-you in there. ^_^ Anyway, new review: to quote the third Aladdin movie, _"They're finally getting married...!"_ XD Glad you liked.),**

**Knight-Dawn for reviewing (Please do comment; I loves it when you comment... XD Thanks! (Agreed—we could make the argument that she didn't see anything to keep Roxas safe and not completely freak him out, but she took it to a new level and never told him anything...) Worst way to find out the girl you've like forever is dating someone _ever_... but still way possessive, agreed. Poor Roxy... :D I guess I should have put the wedding in sooner... XD (Sorry about the confusion—Haruki is born after the wedding, but my headcanon dictates that they knew Xion was pregnant a little before the wedding... How's that for starting rumors? :P) Thanks! That luck must've done wonders, 'cause I had this done about two hours after posting. XD),**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 for the reviews (91. ^_^ 92. :D 93. :( Agreed... 94. ROFLMAO—I was hoping someone would say that! Thank you for making my day there... 95. Haha, veeery nice... Epic fail. 96. Best way to die, though... _fluff..._ 97. She tries, anyway... That duty is part of the reason she goes back to Sora, after all. 98. Almost? LOL... He did freak out a little, though, so "almost" is justified, XD 99. You've got that on the dot, LOL. ^_^), and**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing! (Gaaaah, Riku in a suit... 8D 'Matus would be the happiest fangirl in the world. Haha, particularly the dolled-up Xion would hurt him to miss... Sweet payback, just being "best friends," Roxas secretly getting some revenge for stealing his girl (XD, juuust kidding)... ROFLMAO, I guess it's a good thing Roxas went as soon as he did... The problem was, no one was coming when they left, but they dallied around long enough... XD (*Squinting... I dunno, where's the—ooh, ooh, right on Riku's nose. High fives all around... My God, he's literally beating the fluff out of that Ansem-kitty... O.O))**

* * *

_**"It looks like my summer vacation is...**_** over."**

**No, literally. XD I go back to school tomorrow—which is very bad considering how late I got up, LOL—but tomorrow afternoon/evening I'll post the bonus chapter for this challenge.**

**Wow. I finished it. I finished _another_ challenge... Kinda momentous occasion here, really... Set before Xehanort is defeated but late into the speculated canon this series runs on... Please enjoy!**

* * *

"You're right."

Meeting his eyes through her eyelashes, she murmurs, "About what?"

"We should have been dead for weeks now—we have to make the most of what time we have." The hand on her arm is drawing a line, back and forth, like the tide returning to land over and over again...

She pushes herself closer on the bed, kissing him slowly, making a noise somewhere between a laugh and a whimper when his tongue meets hers.

"Our time is now," he whispers as they break apart, and everything—

—_Maleficent, Isa, Vanitas, the Sigil, Xehanort—_

—melts away.

* * *

**"Strength and Courage," a Kingdom Hearts fanfiction.**

**Began: May 7, 2012**

**Ended: August 13, 2012**

**Total of 98 days of writing.**


	101. The Bonus Chapter

**Thanks to...**

**Mirae-no-Sekai for reviewing (Thanks for the warning... They really do. ^_^ I'm glad to hear that they still sound sweet after all this, LOL. Haha, A. they were on a bed in some private room wherever they're staying at the time—I vote Mysterious Tower—and B. thaaaank you! :DDD It's really almost over—you have a couple drabbles left, and then...! At least it's online so you can reread it. I'm glad you enjoyed reading this so much! (Haha, well, it's already missing an arm... ooh, ow, and an eye... Why, thank you—although it's a little creepy to know you have good aim in common with Xigbar. -_-),**

**Nozomi Illuminated for the favorite story,**

**DemyxAxelfan225 for the favorite story,**

**RoseOfADifferentColor for the review (Thank you so very much! I'm glad you liked it! Haha, couldn't have timed it any better, really. Thank you; that's probably the most rewarding thought/feeling in the whole drabble... Haha, and we know they'll always fight together. ^_^ Thank you, thank you, thank you, and since you told me to, I will be very proud of this. Thank you! See ya soon.),**

**LoveBri for reviewing (*Sniffle. It's over... :( But at least this is online so you can reread pretty easily, plus you've got this whole chapter left. Thank you so much! And thanks again for deciding to read this when you did. ^_^ I'm glad you enjoyed the ride! (Also, forgive the shameless self-advertising, but if you haven't read it yet, OHS on my profile is the exact same idea and format as this if you want some more reading...)),**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 for reviewing (It's almost... over... I'm gonna cry now... XD Well, I hope you're not too sad to enjoy the bonuses.), and**

**SJ for reviewing! (Haha, I really, really hope she does—she'd make a nice addition to all the FF characters already in KH, plus break up the group a little. XDD Hope probably stole one of the giant machines again and got separated while the two of them are out on their own... Amen to that!)**

* * *

**So, as promised, I bring to you chapter 101 of "Strength and Courage," full of outtakes and a few other bonuses I couldn't justify posting by themselves... Let's get started!**

* * *

**As I explained to Knight-Dawn once, most of these drabbles were written the day they were posted, which didn't often leave a lot of room to have an entire other drabble written. There were, however, some that got to be too long, or sometimes I had one written the day before and changed my mind before posting. This is one of the former, and it's also one of my favorites. The full, unedited version of _#26, "Fate,"_ had some side jokes that I had to take out, but they're truly part of Disney's incarnation of the Fates...**

"So... that means Xehanort's... dead?" Riku would probably be laughing at Sora's twisted-up "confused" face with Lea right now if he wasn't equally mind-blown.

"He _was_ dead," the Fate proclaims, sticking her nose up in the air—and considering the length of her nose, she makes an impression. "He has created a new thread of life for himself."

"He's hardly the first, however," the short one says. She has the eye at the moment, for which Riku is thankful; she doesn't have a second empty eye socket blinking at him... "There was a girl just recently—"

"_Xion?_"

Sora tosses a slightly-less-confused glance at Riku; Lea casts a very concerned glance in his direction.

The green Fate chuckles, twisting a wormy strand of yellow hair in her fingers. "Oh, that one—we haven't cut her string."

"Yet," the hook-nose Fate adds.

Riku laughs in relief all the same.

* * *

**I debated whether I should include this one in here or not—_#28, "Alone Again,"_ is pretty much an early version of #39, "Torture," but as this was centered around Riku being alone, this one has some lines and ideas that I couldn't justify putting in "Torture" but still liked.**

"Get out of here," Roxas hisses, shrugging out of Naminé's grip. "This is _all your fault—_if I lose my best friends—"

"Please, Roxas," Naminé begs, pulling in his arm. Roxas heeds her plea, turns away; Naminé sends Riku a sympathetic look before running back to Xion.

Sora claps Riku on the shoulder from behind, but Riku doesn't move. He feels disconnected, like this is a nightmare his body is in but his conscious is far away—somewhere with Xion's, maybe.

But for now, even before Sora slips away to heal Lea, he's all alone in his misery once more.

* * *

_**#48, "Harmony,"**_** was in a similar situation as #26, "Fate," if a little shorter. It has a running gag I have for Atlantica—you have that many shirtless, extremely fit and muscular guys in Atlantica, there'll be fangirls. I mean, just look at ****_me_, LOL.**

Riku's pretty sure if Xion blushes any redder, the water is going to start boiling.

It's bad enough that she's having to swim around in nothing more than a fancy bra—not that Riku _would've_ minded _if he was looking—_but now Sebastian and the people of Atlanitca are asking her to...

"Sing?" she chokes. "I—I don't sing, trust me. Roxas can, but—"

"Oh, you're not that bad, Xion!" Roxas grins like he's helping while one of the mermaids pets his golden hair.

"You could try harmony," Riku says. Xion turns to him, eyes widely hopeful. "Just follow me, alright?"

"Sure." As the others drift away to finish their plans, Xion whispers, "Thanks."

"No problem. Sora's made me come with him all the time. All you have to do is stay in the back and act like you know what you're doing." Riku winks.

* * *

**Lookie here, Knight-Dawn, another "Sleeping to Dream" related drabble. (You might want to get a Kleenex... Sorry.) I wanted to put more Sleeping to Dream themes in this challenge, but as I was double-posting on dA, I thought it might get too boring to explain the concept, and I was already uploading ten to eleven drabbles a day getting OHS up at the time this was written. As such, I cut it from the final list, but I adore the original _#50, "Dreaming_._"_ I really do. I even have a quote for it!**

_"You know that place between sleep and awake; that place where you can still remember dreaming? That's where I will always love you. That's where I'll be waiting." - J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan_

"Am I...?"

"Dreaming? Yes." Xion leans back and falls into the grass beside him; stars gleam in her eyes. "It's the only way I can reach you."

"Ah." Riku rests his weight on one hand and watches Xion watch stars. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault." Xion blinks slowly, still doesn't look at him. "At least you can fall into the Sleeping Realms now."

"At least we have that." Riku reaches over with his free hand and rests it on her arm. "I miss you."

"Not half as much as I miss you." Xion closes her eyes and sighs. "Nowhere near."

* * *

_**#51, "Moon,"**_** has two bonuses to it. The first was a drabble I liked but didn't fit the theme well—I'm not even sure if I got "moon" in there anywhere... But we never see Riku sleep, so...**

"It must be pretty bad if you're asleep by the time I get here."

Riku doesn't stir when Xion flops beside him on the bed, brushing the fringe of hair in front of his eyes away. It's not often that she finds him asleep—usually he's waking her up before she's realized she fell asleep—but she doesn't dare wake him up as pale as he looks under the light of the moon.

Instead, Xion pulls one end of the blankets over her and lies close to him, imagining some of his exhaustion drifting onto her as she falls asleep.

**I guess I got moon in there once. :P The other version of "Moon," however, had absolutely no chance of being included. I seriously, highly doubt anything ever happened and ever could have happened between Riku and Xion in _Days—_in fact, to be honest, I doubt Riku had any "more than friendly" thoughts about Xion ever. He was just beginning to respect her and be her friend by the time she went back to the Organization. This time, though, I wanted to ignore canon just a bit and pretend something_ had_ happened during that Forty Days of Temptation...**

For days after she returns to the Castle, she spends hours watching Kingdom Hearts from the windows; her mind is so far from the rest of them that Roxas thinks she's actually inside the heart-shaped moon, reveling in whatever she's learned and cannot tell any of them.

And while Xion isn't _that_ far away, even she feels like she's on a separate world when she gazes at the moon—she's back on the Islands that feel like they should be home, lying in the light of the perfect circle of the moon with the man in black that _does_ feel like home, his mouth on hers and one hand resting on her back to hold her close—

She can't tell Roxas about any of that, not without breaking his heart before the moon can even give it back.

* * *

**For a while after I finished OHS, I kept going back to the pivotal time period where both Riku and Xion realize there's a mutual attraction, but Riku is trying to protect Xion from Xehanort and the incarnations that know him too well by refusing to act on that attraction. There's a drabble I already have published called "Should Have Known" which I'm guessing most of you have seen; it deals with the fallout from Riku telling Xion why he can't let himself do this from Riku's side. The original _#52, "Fall,"_ was Xion's side of the same conversation. Technically, it would correspond to OHS #43, "Love," and SAC #33, "Stardust," in that it's the moment that Xion finds out she's in love with Riku...**

Xion isn't sure if she's shaking because she's so angry about Riku not looking at her or if she's just trying to match her breaking heart. No matter the reason, it _hurts_; she's only hurt like this for one other reason, and if she was to believe Roxas—and she might see things his way from now on—that was all Riku's fault, too.

It's only ever been Riku who hurts her this badly.

It's only Riku who can.

And it's while standing here, quivering as Riku turns away, that she realizes it's only ever Riku that she's fallen for.

* * *

_**#53, "Tears,"**_** was also too long originally, but I really liked Roxas's response in the longer version... Plus I got to throw in a reference to Roxas and Riku's original fight in KHII/Days.**

Silence rings throughout the room as Xion's voice falters and falls silent; she folds her hands in her lap and glances up at Roxas, scared but steady.

Riku looks away, crossing his arms. This is between them—and besides, looking at Xion is more than he can stand anymore.

"What?" Riku turns back just in time to see Roxas marching at him, face contorted into a snarl.

The room almost dims and darkens with the force of Riku's memories.

"How could you let this happen?"

"Roxas...!"

The other _boy_ manages to stop himself before he slams Riku into the wall, but only just. "Have you ever considered that you're no good for her?"

"Have you?" Riku snaps.

"Enough!"

Even Roxas heeds Xion's tears.

* * *

_**#60, "Rainbow,"**_** also goes back to "Sleeping to Dream," but I ran into the same problem as I did with #50. This one shouldn't break anyone's heart, but I never quite know what to expect... ^_^**

The night sky is gone when Riku opens his eyes, lying on grass instead of sheets; the stars are replaced instead with—

"Rainbows?"

"What's wrong with rainbows?" As always, Riku turns his head to the left and smiles softly at Xion, who continues staring up into the sky.

"I got used to stargazing."

"I thought we needed some color for once. I'm tired of living in shades of gray." Xion turns to him, narrowing her eyes in thought. "I'll go back to the stars, though, if you like them better."

"Whatever makes you happy."

Why are Riku's cheeks warm suddenly?

* * *

**I didn't actually want _#61, "Dying,"_ to be as depressing as the theme called for; I was in the mood for lighter, if more passionate, drabbles at the time, but I did get the deep, dark, and depressing theme in for the other incarnations of the prompt.**

**The first one goes back to the OHS "Riku is a scaredy-cat" arc again, and it was the first time I ever had a drabble where Riku himself explained why he couldn't bear to just go for it... :P**

Riku almost gasps when he realizes it.

The reason he's never been as happy as he's been with Xion is because Ansem never let him...

And Xehanort never will.

They used Kairi's kidnapping against Sora before...

He knows what he has to do even as he thinks it. He'll be dying with every word he says—but if it keeps Xion alive and well, he'll do it.

There's one last thing, though—one last thing he has to do for himself, one last thing before he turns his back on her forever...

He just hopes she'll understand and forgive him.

**It wasn't my best, but it wasn't my worst, either. ^_^ The other went back to the "Blood" scenario that I'm trying to retcon (LOL) and was the part I focused on in #90, "Climb"—how Terra convinces Riku to get back in there and stay with Xion despite Roxas. (I like this drabble _way_ better... Dang it all.)**

Riku doesn't look up as Terra sits on the floor beside him slowly, as if anticipating a reaction. "Nothing like knowing she's in there dying, is there?"

Terra blinks, staring at the infirmary door behind which Xion lies sleeping. "I lived with it for twelve years... No, there isn't."

Riku closes his eyes then, his hand curling into a fist. He'd rather feel the pain in his hands than in his heart, but no such luck...

"I know Roxas is hurt about this, but..." Terra turns to him then, almost smirking. Almost. "He's probably asleep. Get in there, man."

* * *

**I almost wrote a new drabble for _#63, "Fantasy,"_ since I loved this idea so much and since it was so long, but I ended up changing my mind and just shortened it. Here's the full one—you'll like this...**

"I still wish I could have seen you in the Grid," Xion says over the irritating (or so Riku thinks) clicking of the laptop keyboard. "You'd have been so cute..."

"Are you fantasizing about me as a computer program?"

Riku grins when Xion glares at him over the top of her damn reading glasses "Very funny, but no. Besides, if I had a fantasy, it would be of you as a vampire in Halloween Town."

"Where did you get that idea?"

"It's a joke."

"Damn. I could have actually worked with that." Riku slips around her to stand behind her and brushes her hair to one side, exposing the column of her neck.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Xion's voice is breathy, low, and Riku has to take a deep breath to calm himself before he goes on.

"Just fulfilling a fantasy," he murmurs, pressing his lips to the corner of her jaw, then leaving a trail as he works his way down.

"If you're doing what I think you're doing—" Xion grips the sides of the computer, the keyboard falling silent at last, "—and you leave a mark or make me drop this computer, I'll start staying in a separate room."

"Relax," Riku whispers. Xion shivers, breathing shallowly while he kisses the nape of her neck quickly. "It'll make this more enjoyable for the both of us."

"Should I be worried? 'Cause you're good at this..."

"Should you?"

Xion gasps loudly as Riku bites her neck.

* * *

_**#77, "Doll/Puppet,"**_** was actually a blank prompt, but when I asked if anyone had a suggestion or request with which to fill it, I had two answers within five minutes, LOL. The original version has both elements in it, but I also wrote separate drabbles for "Doll" and "Puppet" as well.**

**AlianaFireheart specified "china doll" in her request, which I took to mean porcelain doll, but this could work with either china or porcelain dolls. (Apparently there _is_ a difference, LOL.)**

It's pretty enough, Xion decides, except for the eyes.

The jade-green orbs of the porcelain doll sparkle down at her, but they lack warmth or life; its beauty is lost on her under the eerie gaze.

That must have been what she was like in the beginning...

...and that's what she would have been in the end—a doll with no purpose without her friends, with no soul, no light in glittering eyes like Sora's—had Riku not saved her.

With a shudder Xion wraps a cold hand around one of Riku's and drags him away from the bleak memories.

**It was Knight-Dawn who requested "Puppet," which is plenty fitting for Xion; we also had a discussion about how Riku seems to have a thing for puppets... ;) Enjoy!**

"But I'm nothing more than a puppet—something that someone created..."

Outwardly Riku doesn't flinch, but...

How can anyone be able to admit that to herself? Either she's more heartless than he thought or...

Xion continues, unaware of his quandary, still talking in that matter-of-fact tone. "...so why would I have their memories?"

"Xion—" For what it's worth, he likes the sound of her name, the ease with which it comes...

It's not worth nearly enough in light of the truth.

The least he could give the puppet is a moment of his sympathy.

(He gives her much, much more.)

* * *

**This is just a longer version of **_**#80, **_**"**_**Transform**_**," but I thought it flowed together a little better and just sounded better... Enjoy!**

Seeing Xion in such pain that she wants to cry is nothing new.

Riku's throat, though, closes around what he wants to say at the sight of her, eyes closed tightly and hand covering her mouth. He pulls up a chair near her, silent, waiting for her to speak.

"There's not much of a life for a Replica. Not really, not as much like you as he is." Xion opens her eyes; they're remarkably dry, like always. The knot in his throat grows. "But how bad is it really if he chose to join _them_?"

And for the first time, he wants to take her pain himself, if only it meant she would smile again.

It takes his Replica choosing to transform into one of the thirteen for Riku to see how his relationship with Xion has transformed as well.

His hand takes her free one, lightly squeezing it. "Better than you think it is. I promise."

Xion squeezes back tightly.

* * *

**And finally, we come to _#96, "Hello?"_ This one got long and awesome—it's twice as long as it was supposed to be, but it's way too fun not to keep that long. ^_^ Enjoy!**

"Mm... First kiss?"

Riku almost snorts his drink; he covers his mouth, face burning, until he swallows and bursts into chuckles. "Oh, man—I _think_ it was Selphie."

"You _think_?" Xion's insides melt into carbonated elation at the grin on his face and his hand over hers. Who knew staying up this late could be so much fun?

"I was six, I don't remember very well—not to mention I've been trying to block that memory."

"Player."

Riku chuckles. "And you?"

"Uh, hello? Former Replica here. Little too preoccupied to think about kissing someone."

"I just wondered if you and Roxas...?"

"_Ew_." She's going to ignore his satisfaction at that... "Actually, you were my first kiss."

"And I screwed it up that badly? You'd think I'd get _something_ right after a while..."

"Riku—"

"Make you a deal," he says, pushing himself up and closer so that his body is only a few inches from hers, close enough that each breath they take intermingles between them. "We'll say this was our first kiss and forget about the other."

And lighter than a butterfly's wing grazing her skin, gentler than if she were made of glass, he presses his lips to hers.

* * *

**To cap it off, here's the official _chronological order_ of SAC—but if you catch a mistake like Knight-Dawn did with the OHS order, please feel free to let me know! Maybe someday I'll even get ambitious and try to combine the OHS and SAC orders... Enjoy! Have fun with the potential reread!**

**358/2 Days:** 88, 10, 84, 17, 02, 97, 15, 54, 23.

**3D and Between:** 07, 70, 65, 79, 26, 86.

**Return and Pre-Kiss (OHS) Arc:** 49, 29, 08, 75, 04, 64, 93, 48, 85, 71, 24, 57, 87, 31, 05, 51, 41, 43, 89, 19, 30, 55, 13, 80, 77, 09, 94, 14, 47, 25.

**Kiss Drama:** 18, 46, 12, 11, 22, 36, 45, 61.

**Post-Kiss Establishment:** 44, 96, 73, 35, 38, 28, 01, 58, 98.

**Xion's near death:** 39, 90.

**Public and closer:** 21, 82, 72, 60, 76, 66, 69, 50.

**Maleficent:** 53, 68, 52, 34, 40.

**Closest/In Love:** 27, 20, 78, 63, 92, 32, 33, 91, 83, 56.

**Vanitas:** 62.

**End KHIII:** 81, 67, 16, 100, 37.

**Post-KHIII, Haruki:** 74, 03, 59, 99, 95, 42

* * *

**Special bonus time! The first bonus I have for you was written during the school year—le gasp!—and is a follow-up to an OHS drabble—"White Lie," whatever number that may be, in which Xion admits that she thought Riku made the Organization coat look like a dress—and it's also their first night sharing a bed, LOL. MonMonCandie left a review for that chapter, saying it would have been funny if Riku actually _had_ kicked her out of the bed like he'd threatened to... I present the drabble "Bedtime."**

Xion's squeal is so loud that Riku glances at the door before his head flops on the pillow.

"I can't believe it!" The bed shifts, but not enough for Xion to have clambered back up. "You kicked me off the bed!"

"Serves you right," Riku grumbles; he turns his head enough to listen, not enough to see her. "Be quiet."

"_Well_, then," Xion huffs, but the bed springs whine as she slips back under the covers. Her arm slides under his, her hand resting on his, head leaning against the nape of his neck. "'Night."

...Damn it, he smiled. Again.

* * *

**This was written about the same time as "Bedtime," but it's set at a later time; Xehanort has been defeated, and the gang is all staying on the Islands to recuperate and decide where to go from there. Xion obviously has no legitimate family to stay with and ends up staying at Riku's old house, and for the sake of appearances, she decides to stay in the guest room instead of with Riku... I present "Late-Night Knocking."**

Riku should be used to the knock on his door at one in the morning, and it shouldn't surprise him that it comes just as he's falling asleep.

Xion at least looks ashamed when he opens the door. "I really did try sleeping without you," she murmurs.

He can't even stay the slightest bit annoyed when she's got that tone. "It's fine—come on. Just no tricks; my parents are in the next room, and while I could care less about what my father hears..."

He has to kiss her quickly to keep her laughter from waking the old folks.

* * *

**Final bonus, everyone, and this'll be the real tearjerker. This was nearly uploaded by itself, but KH3D had already come out, and I was sure people were sick of my speculation, anyway. However, this is quite possibly my favorite section out of ten from "Sleeping to Dream," and I figured this one would be cool to share—and I told Sakura Scout that Ven needed a cookie the next time I wrote about him. ;) I hope you enjoy "He Came Back"!**

"Oh, _Xiiiooon_," Ventus calls, and she can practically hear the Cheshire grin he's wearing. Xion doesn't look up from her hand of cards, though; Terra has just raised the stakes in their card game, and when those stakes include the cookies Ven manages to dream into existence whenever the nightmares hit hard, it's a very serious card game. Besides, Ven is always a little over exuberant, so he's probably just found another pretty stone for her to make up for the boys not showing up yet. He can wait.

"What, you're not even going to look up at me?"

Apparently not. "Hold on _two_ seconds, Ven," she replies—delayed, and even she can hear the pause—"I've almost got him."

Terra lifts an eyebrow from behind his own hand. "You. Wish."

There's a snort from Ventus's side of the room—a very not-Ventus, not-Roxas snort. Xion gasps.

Terra's eyebrows shoot back down immediately as he frowns at her. "Xion—?"

But there's no time for that, not when she's already late. Xion springs up and twists toward the door of the lounge so quickly that she would be surprised she hadn't knocked over her chair if she'd cared about that now. The suddenness of how quickly she finds what she's looking for after waiting and searching this long almost knocks her to her knees, but her hand grips the tabletop as she _sees_ him—she's not dreaming about him this time, he's really _right there_.

Whatever smirk Riku must have had when he was laughing at her is gone already, replaced with wide eyes and a gaping mouth as he takes in the sight of her. His hair is practically gone as short as he cut it, he's wearing colors, and Xion thinks he looks shorter, less intimidating, though that's probably the influence of the Dream World, but that's Riku. _Riku's_ here . . .

"You came," she whispers, breathing shallowly. "You found us." She thinks she hears Terra standing up, too, but the silence between them—and the distance, a whole fifteen feet—swallows up extraneous _anything_.

Riku blinks, takes a step forward. "I came back," he says, his voice echoing through the lounge and through her soul like he was shouting.

And Xion sprints at him like she's never sprinted before, throwing her arms around him, almost surely tackling him if his arms hadn't been ready and waiting. There's a warm, shaking hand on her back and another in her hair, and from here Xion hears his own struggle for air against disbelief as he pulls her as close as he can. There's no way this is a dream, not if she can smell the blood and sweat and _Riku_ smell all at once, and Xion buries her head in his shoulder. "You came back . . ."

"I came back," he confirms, his breath tickling over her scalp. "I came back for you, Xion, I'm so sorry it took this long—"

"Don't be." She pulls back, just far enough to look up at him, and grins for the first time in a long time. "You're here now."

And Riku smiles back, eyes alight.

* * *

**Before I go, there are some incredibly sentimental thank-yous I really need to give out.**

**First of all, to the first reviewer: Knight-Dawn, my friend, you finally got to watch the whole challenge unfold and get a direct say in at least one part of it. Congratulations again on finishing your own challenge, and thank you ever, ever so much for the consistent reviews and fun times! Have fun moving forward.**

**To probably one of the most diligent reviwers I know: DGMSilverAirHead03, you never fail to amaze me as you comment on every single chapter I post—maybe not on time, but you never fail to make give your feedback. ^_^ Thanks so much for everything!**

**To another of the most diligent reviewers I know, and the one with the single funniest, sarcastic reviews ever: Mirae-no-sekai, seriously, I'm not lying when I say ROFLMAO. Seriously. Just for you, here's an Ansem-kitty and a ball bat. ;) Have at it—and hit one at Roxas for me, please... Good luck with your ZekuNami challenge that I still have not reviewed... -_- You have permission to throw Ansem-kitty at me now. I won't dodge it.**

**To the most astounding reviewer here: MidnightxRose, I'm sorry if reviewing to all 89 currently posted the day you reviewed (not to mention the 95 or so chapters of Knight-Dawn's you reviewed) gave you any callouses. My God, woman, you're freakin' amazing like that. Here's to more speedy fingers!**

**And to the reviewer who's always come back right when I need her: MegaWallflower, I know you're not done reviewing the rest of the series—if you cheat and just skip reviewing, by the way, I won't care a bit and will probably be relieved—but when you read this, thank you so much for reading yet another silly series of drabbles. I hope you enjoy(ed) the rest of the series!**

**Don't think that just because I didn't respond to you that I've forgotten you or don't love you just as much—a super huge thanks is in order for RoseOfADifferentColor, Destiny Crusader, LoveBri, EmmyMetal, Blaze1662001, Chris Coard, Xero, Peach, g-peachy-chan (which, by the way, are you actually Peach out-of-disguise? XD Just curious, don't feel obligated to answer and/or blow your cover. ;D) for reviewing!**

**Also, thanks to CarelessWhispers13, CrystalRose123, delphigirl689, DemyxAxelfan225, derpylikescake, Element's Sole Protector, Kuroiikawa, lightsoldier297, Nozomi Illuminated (who has an awesome new series you should read if you like this— .ever.), RAINRAIN9, RisuMisu, and the Trio of Twilight for the favorites and support!**

**And even if your name isn't anywhere in this chapter, thank you ever so much for reading this to the end!**

* * *

**Well, guys, it's been a blast, but this is all for now... I wish you all the best of luck in your own personal endeavors, particularly of the written variety, and I hope I get to see you all again very soon!**

_**"And who knows: starting a new journey may not be so hard, or maybe it has already begun. There are many worlds, but they share the same sky—one sky, one destiny."**_


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